MALFOY MANOR
by Jingyee1511
Summary: ON HIATUS, AWAITING ROUND TWO OF REVAMP. Ratings in case. An inexplicable connection. A suppressed friendship. Jealousy. First Love. Passion. Ardour. Distancing, Betrayal... Rediscovering the match made in heaven. Follow Draco as he discovers the one person most dear to him. DracoxOC.
1. Prologue

**MALFOY MANOR**

Summary: J.K. Rowling's 7 books revolve around Harry Potter, thus not revealing the true side of Draco Malfoy. Now let's return to the start, beginning at Malfoy Manor. This fanfic will end where the Deathly Hallows did, and reveal who Draco's wife is- a girl whom J.K. Rowling had forgotten to include. DracoxOC.

A/N: Hi all, thanks for giving _Malfoy Manor_ a chance. I hope I will not disappoint any of you; this is my first Harry Potter fanfic, and I'll do my best to keep it as in character, and not stray from the background info that J.K. Rowling included. I know OCs aren't popular, but I want to give it a shot- hopefully, I'll do a good job of it. Whether you like it or hate it, a personal appeal for your review, please. Only with your review can I do better. Thank you.

A/N: (14June2011) I have decided to revamp the structure of my story. Apparently my story has been quite bad in securing readers, so I am determined to redo it. In this new structure, Jade and Draco may appear to move along very fast- but the alternative method turned out very boring. Hopefully this is better done.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

**Prologue**

A sharp stroke landed on her, and her skin tore. Jade felt a scream rise in her throat but forced it down sharply. Little droplets of blood were beginning to form where the whip had come into contact with her skin.

Jade looked up emotionlessly to see the matron glare down at her, whip in hand. Jade tried to shake away the apprehension growing in her chest. The whip held bad memories… It was always hung in Miss Taylor's office, reserved for disciplining unruly children. But more recently, it had been used to extort confessions from her.

"What did you do to the oatmeal, Bloomwood?" she demanded harshly.

Jade kept her head down, staring at Miss Taylor's shoes in silence. _The shoes don't match her dress,_ Jade observed dully.

Since a long time ago, she had learnt that there was no use explaining that she hadn't done it. Miss Taylor hadn't believed her when the window smashed, not when the distasteful toast sprouted mould in a blink of an eye, nor when the iodine turned into water. No one believed her, nor could she explain it.

Miss Taylor loomed closer and waved the whip in her face. Jade suppressed a tremble. If she kept her heart mute, the pain wouldn't be as strong…

"_I know you were the reason it changed into porridge,"_Miss Taylor seethed. _"'Fess up!"_

Another stroke landed on her, and Jade flinched. Some sort of adrenaline rose up to her chest- next thing she knew, Miss Taylor's shoes turned from blue to yellow.

Miss Taylor screamed and dragged her out of the room, shouting "Freak! _Freak!_" Her claw like nails dug into Jade's wounds; Jade winced. A glass photo frame shattered, its contents flying in all directions.

Miss Taylor's eyes bulged even bigger. From the other side of the room, a young child began to cry. Her peers edged away from her, fear colouring their eyes.

"Did you do that?" Miss Taylor asked in a deadly whisper.

Jade shook her head quickly.

The matron stared into her eyes.

"Liar," she hissed, as she dragged Jade to the isolation room. All eyes stared as they passed, and no one tried to help Jade as she insisted she was innocent.

Jade was thrown roughly into the room.

"You'll stay here for two days!" Miss Taylor commanded, as the heavy door closed upon her. Jade got up and pounded at the door, but it did not yield. Eventually, the footsteps died away, and silence reigned.

Jade slunk into a corner and fell to her knees. Alone in the dark, Jade sighed. Tears didn't come anymore, because she had ceased to feel.

She was an outcast in the orphanage- and there was probably no point fighting back.

There wasn't a flame kindled in her. It was all emptiness, just like this confinement room.

_They said that this orphanage was an abandoned hospital once- this very room held the mental patients._

Jade sighed. She could feel that there was more to her life than this. She could feel it in her bones- she was born for something else.

Her heart wasn't here; her mind was confined beyond this room… Though one day she'd probably be free. Change was coming…

Jade looked down to see her wounds fully healed.

But as of now… Jade Bloomwood was condemned as a freak, locked in a room for mad patients and whose heart slept.

The young Draco Malfoy tugged on his mother's hand to hurry her along. Narcissa Malfoy asked where he was going, but he couldn't answer her. His nine year old self had no idea either, yet he felt that he _had_ to. He needed to go.

A sudden wave of urgency and expectation overcame him; Draco let go of his mother and broke into a sprint. He was close to his goal, he could feel it.

_So close yet so far_. His time was ticking, counting down. He felt like he was trapped in an hourglass, racing to keep out of the falling sand and reaching for the top.

_There wasn't much time left._

His heart raced as he sped up. But how much was from the physical exertion, how much from the anticipation clawing out of his chest? Behind him, his parents followed, at a loss of what was going on. He found that he didn't care about that, however. He just knew that he didn't go, he would regret for life. Some part deep in his chest, something yearned for him to hurry.

He found himself in front of a large grey building. Cold. Unwelcoming. Out of the way. It looked foreign- Draco had certainly never set foot near it before. This was Muggle London, and he had no business there, pureblood wizard-to-be that he was.

Draco threw open the large double doors before him without excessive contemplation. He knew that it was in this building… It was in this building he would find her. At the back of his mind, he asked himself why 'her'? Who did he hope to find? Why did he feel a certainty from the bottom of his heart that it was 'her'? Who was 'she'?

He couldn't find an answer.

Draco pushed past people and went through a labyrinth of corridors. There were protests and exclamations around him, but he could not be more bothered. In a trance-like but purposeful manner, Draco's legs led him to a heavyset door. He gulped as he placed his hand on the intimidating metal door. He caressed the metal- the final physical barrier. From behind, he heard a mix of voices- his parents, mixed with other coarse voices. Draco drew a deep breath, and heard a click. The door creaked open.

The darkness of the room blinded him for a moment. As Draco's eyes adjusted, he saw a clear figure of a girl leaning against the wall directly opposite him.

A spasm shot through his arm, and his face twitched. Draco took tentative steps towards the girl, deaf to the protestations from behind him.

There was something intangible in the air, drawing him and only him to the girl before him. Every step he took, he felt it was… right.

Draco knelt down a metre away from her, staring intently at the figure in front of him. She was small, and her face was curtained behind her brown wavy hair.

Draco knew that she was aware of his presence.

He stayed, unmoving, there for some time. It was as if Draco was appraising her, or that they were having a communication without words. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy stood silently behind their son, not understanding but not questioningly.

Draco looked around and saw a pot of wilting white roses. Probably left there in memory of someone passed.

He shuffled his feet and picked up one of them before going on his knees before her again. Holding it in his palm where she could see it, Draco offered it to her- the same white rose, now in full bloom.

The girl looked up at the rose, and took it incredulously from him. Draco found himself staring inexplicably at her. Almost as if he couldn't take his eyes of her…

The girl spun the rose in her smooth fingers, watching the white rose go round and round. As a smile lifted her features, the rose turned a deep red. She looked up at Draco straight in the eye for the first time, the smile staying beautifully on her face. Draco felt his face break into a smile, and there was a jolt in his chest. As Draco looked into his face, he felt a sense of belonging, a sense of peace at the core of his being. His heart pounded even fiercer than before, and Draco felt some kind of force drawing him closer to her.

He felt as though he was getting to know her without words- both their souls meeting, recognizing each other… He didn't notice how his heart felt before. But now, it felt whole.

Back near the door, he heard Lucius Malfoy's cool voice ask how long the girl had been confined in this room.

"A… week," a woman's voice replied meekly. Draco's eyes flashed, and he focused exclusively on the girl's face.

With a little start of alarm, he realized how pale she was, how hard each breath she took sounded.

"I'll be adopting her," Narcissa Malfoy said crisply, shooting her son and the little girl a glance. "What's her name?"

Draco saw the colour of the girl's eyes and knew it almost even before the reply came.

"Jade… Jade Bloomwood."

The Malfoy family was seen in two very different lights. They were recognized by half of the wizarding community as a respectable family, purebloods who used their wealth to contribute to various causes. The other half saw the Malfoys as Death Eaters who'd gotten away scot-free; a family belonging to the Dark side, and hated them.

In the eye of the hurricane, there was peace. Malfoy Manor stood still, encased within itself. The tall gates held within themselves a different world from the outside. People who entered could occasionally see their hosts slip out of their lofty masks and watch, beneath that all, a love as any other household. Meagerly extended to those who were not immediate family, for no one could enter the inner fold; the bulk of it congregated around the Malfoys' son- Draco.

There was just one outsider- just one- who got to watch that. The Malfoy family did not revolve around her, but she was already where others could not reach- the heart of it all.

In the gigantic garden, two children ran about in the snow, laughing.

The blond haired boy aimed a huge snowball at the little girl's head.

"Hey Jade!"

The head of brown hair turned around, receiving a snowball right in her face.

"_Draco!"_

Draco Malfoy let out a yelp as Jade began chasing after him again, pelting him with snowballs. Genuine smiles grew on their faces, as the two children ran alongside one another in blissful care-freeness.

At long last, the pair slumped against the wall of the manor, their faces pink with exhaustion and the biting chill. Their warm bodies were huddled close together as they watched the snow thicken. Their surroundings were painted white.

"Your hair's getting long," Draco commented, pushing Jade's fringe away from her eyes. Jade smiled at him, her cheeks tingling slightly.

Narcissa Malfoy watched them, unseen from a window upstairs. She had very ambivalent feelings towards that little scene. It worried her.

It had been slightly over a year since she and her husband had rescued Jade Bloomwood from the orphanage. The focus was "rescued", not "adopted".

Jade Bloomwood had no right to be viewed as a Malfoy. Compassion had brought her that far, but that was all. Even Draco's mysterious connection to the girl wouldn't waver her.

She was not pureblood. In fact, from where Draco found her, she was most definitely Mudblood. Even if she were of magical descent, so what? Blood traitors were no better. There were so few honourable families left.

Narcissa remembered how she and her fellow Death Eaters had ruthlessly killed Muggles for sport, and wondered why she didn't despise Jade the same way. Somehow, you just couldn't spit the word "mudblood" at her. It just didn't fit- the gentle, respectful little girl.

But she wasn't a Malfoy.

Jade seemed to comprehend that soon after entering the manor. While Draco got new robes, Jade got the clothes Draco outgrew. Even though there were many healthy sized guestrooms, Jade removed her meager belongings to the bedroom in the attic. Like Dobby, Jade chipped-in in cleaning and cooking. Like Dobby, she recognized that they were not equals. Lucius was "Master Malfoy", and she was "Lady Malfoy".

But Draco was Draco. And that made Narcissa just a bit unsettled.

But it had made it easier, in a way, for Narcissa to make excuses. When guests came and saw Jade, Narcissa could tell them that she was to aid Dobby. The Manor was big, after all.

"What are you thinking about?" came a soft murmur, as her husband wrapped his arm around Narcissa's waist. They exchanged a swift kiss, and Narcissa felt her heart lighten.

"Draco and Jade, actually."

Lucius said nothing as they walked downstairs together, into the dining room. Narcissa knew that he was considering the situation as well.

They sat in their respective seats, contemplating. Within minutes, Jade entered, bringing the food in, closely followed by Draco and Dobby. Jade was giggling over something Draco said.

"Settle down," Lucius murmured. There was an edge to his voice that none but the practiced ears could pick up. The boy slipped into his seat almost reluctantly. Narcissa noticed that his eyes kept staying to Jade, and she pursed her lips imperceptibly.

"What's this?" she asked, addressing Dobby.

"A Japanese dish, Mistress. It's called Ramen-"

Lucius's eyebrows raised as he stared coldly at the house elf. Dobby faltered.

"It's delicious, Father," Draco piped up, noticing the change in atmosphere. "Jade made it just right."

Lucius's eyebrow's furrowed, and waved his hand in dismissal. Jade and Dobby bowed and retreated to the kitchen.

Draco was silent throughout dinner. Lucius and Narcissa watched in disquiet at their son's expression when Jade re-entered the room to serve dessert, not missing out how his eyes trailed her every movement. Finally, when Jade was gone, Draco spoke.

"Father, can Jade not sit at the table with us for dinner?"

"No, Draco. You know the reason full well yourself."

The boy's eyes shot down.

"Are you fond of the girl?"

Narcissa watched as Draco twitched. There was a pink twinge on his pale cheeks, but he said nothing.

"I will not condone you being attached to Jade, Draco. If you do, I will have to send her off," Lucius continued.

Draco stared at his father, aghast. Slowly, he removed himself from his chair. There was a spasm in his fingers as he laid down the cutlery, and Narcissa saw that his face had turned even paler.

"I'm done," he whispered, as he went up the stairs to his bedroom.

Lucius and Narcissa's eyes met. They saw in the other's eyes a reflection of their own turmoil.

Narcissa decided on the spot to throw a Christmas party here. It'd be a reunion- furthermore, it would bring Draco in the company of others around his age. Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Parkinson, Montague, Flint, amongst others.

Perhaps that would do the trick. To make Draco a proper Slytherin and keep his distance from Jade.

But deep down, Narcissa wondered if she actually believed it would work.

She recalled how Draco worked when he found Jade at the muggle orphanage and sighed.

_However, that was all in the past. Several years had passed since that little scene, and in that span of time a lot had changed. To say the least, Dobby had left the Manor, and Jade had uncovered her family history. She was half-blood._

_Now we will fast forward, to Jade and Draco's fourth year in Hogwarts, where the drama truly begins. We have sped past the times of that inexplicable connection, that suppressed friendship, the jealousy. Even first love. _

_We are now at Passion. _


	2. Chapter 1

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: I rated this fic M based on this chapter. There may be another such scene in the future, perhaps in the Half Blood Prince equivalent. I know they are supposed to be only 14 by the Goblet of Fire, and I'm sort of disturbed by their age as well... But I felt that this book left the most space for development of their relationship. Please review and let me know what you think... It is my first time writing such a scene, and not having relevant experience myself... ._.

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Draco stirred, shivering a little before the cold air wrapped around his bare skin woke him up. He swallowed as he registered the silky navy blue material of Jade's dress beside him, and his own dress robes discarded onto the floor. He raised his eyes to the two glasses beside the bottle of Butterbeer.

Montague had warned that it was potent, Draco recalled, eyeing the empty glass as he flushed slightly. Too true.

He let his mind cast back to the moment a week ago.

He had asked Jade to the Yule Ball, only to discover that some other Gryffindor had asked her. And what made his blood boil was that she had _accepted_. She. Had. _Accepted_.

_Didn't she know how much he liked her?_

Seeing his expression change, Jade had moved closer to him and held his hand- funnily enough, that had served as ample distraction from more negative thoughts. His heart picked up pace, as he leaned in subconsciously.

"I'm sorry… I- I'd have liked to go with you," she whispered, her eyes downcast.

"Really?" he whispered, as his hands trailed to her waist.

Jade's face turned very red. His heart swelled.

"I'll go look for you during the Ball then."

Jade nodded quickly and let out a smile before rushing away.

Later at the Slytherin common room, Montague had watched as Draco half heartedly invited Pansy instead, and talked to him about it.

"You wanted that Gryffindor half-blood didn't you."

Draco nodded, not looking at him.

"Why? She's a mere half-blood."

"That means nothing to me."

The way his heart had accelerated as his lips met hers as they sat together under the mistletoe. The reactions he got from their unofficial first kiss promised him that she was what he wanted. How his heart raced like never before, and the gentle burning sensation that spread across his entire body as they kissed… No one had ever excited such reactions in him before. Not close.

Later when he pushed her against the wall of the kitchen and properly kissed her... That was _amazing_. She was so endearing his heart would combust for her. How her body reacted to his fervent kiss, how satisfied gasps escaped her throat… She was out of control in his presence, just as he was going mad with how her reactions teased him. It had taken his mother's angry presence to separate them, but even his father's fury could not stop his heart from racing every time he saw her swollen lips.

After Christmas, when they returned to Hogwarts, they had left it at that. During the summer holidays, he screwed up… But that was the past. She was over it.

Draco Malfoy rolled over to face her.

As he looked into the face of his sleeping angel, a small smile lifted his face. A deep set happiness came over him. The joyful feeling originated from the core of his being and threatened to overflow. His heart ached trying to hold so much love for the girl before him.

_How much he loved her._

Draco's fingers trailed through her chocolate brown hair, combing stray strands off her face. He was probably the happiest person in the world right now, he fancied. He was where he belonged. Right here… beside his beloved.

His fingers trailed to her cheeks, and Draco smiled again as her nose twitched like a kitten's.

How long he had to bear knowing that his girl was hanging around other guys- Potter and Weasley in particular, he recalled with a flash of jealousy- and not having anything to assure himself that she would not cease to love him… How long he had waited to realize that their hearts were the same. Yet how long she had tried to suppress it, forcing him to do so as well…

But she was his now, Malfoy thought as another wave of satisfaction overcame him. No one could stand between them.

_He wouldn't let anything keep them away again._

Draco remembered the curious sensation he felt at the very beginning. The curious sensation that their hearts belonged with each other- the electrifying feeling… How hard his heart pounded…

As if half of him was coming home.

Up until now, he still wondered… What would happen to him had he not found her, _how_ he found her… And how come he seemed fated to find the one and only girl who fit him to perfection in this manner.

From day one, he knew- and he was sure she knew- that they were meant to be together. They couldn't be without the other.

Draco leaned in and planted a kiss gently on her lips.

No one else understood. No one else could appreciate her as he did. Just weeks back, Montague sneered at him for choosing her.

"She's not half as beautiful as some, nor as alluring as others," Montague had said, wagging his eyes at his girlfriend. "Why her?"

Malfoy didn't know how to answer. _Everything_. To him, she was the true meaning of beauty. To him, she was alluring.

They fit like jigsaw puzzles. He loved how she cared for him, loved how she fretted for him. He loved how she stood her own with him, and also how she wavered so helplessly in his presence. He loved how she loved him, yet wasn't possessive, nor was she demanding. It was pure, innocent love.

And he loved her exactly the same way.

So much.

So much, that when Montague had offered Draco a potion, a potion that promised that Draco would have Jade for himself totally, Draco agreed. Montague promised that the potion will stop him from having any reservations. All he needed to do was to bring her to his dormitory, cast a spell on the curtains to make sure that no one could disturb, then drink it. Preferably after stripping her. He said that Draco would understand once he did that- then she would belong to him. And no one, no one would be able to snatch her from him.

And he did exactly that. He had danced with her at the ball, then invited her up to his dormitory for a gift he left there for her… Then put sleeping potion in her Butterbeer, and then…

The rest of his actions he couldn't account for. There was just one word to it, _lust_. Maybe _ardour_ would be accurate as well.

_She was so beautiful._

Another wave of emotion coursed through Draco's body, and he kissed her more fervently than before. His fingers trailed up her bare body, as his heart thumped crazily.

He couldn't imagine living without her. Especially not now. Not after… last night.

She stirred from her slumber at last, blinking her eyes rapidly to adjust to the dim lighting surrounding her. Her beautiful green eyes widened as she registered him in such close proximity. A small blush stained her cheeks, looking unsettled.

Draco grinned and took her face in her hands.

He kissed her full in the lips, willing himself to be gentle as heat crept into his chest.

Yet for some reason, it achieved the opposite effect. Somewhere in the lower half of his body, something else registered her awareness. Suddenly, it wasn't love that he felt controlling his body. It was lust.

Jade's eyes spelt fear, but it didn't occur to him anymore. He pressed his body down hard on hers repeatedly, her tears and cries not registering in his rational mind anymore. Her resistance meant nothing, and he forced himself on her over and over again until her protests were a mere whimper, and she had not any strength left but to succumb.

The lust continued burning through him.


	3. Chapter 2

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I do not profit from this story. ^^

A/N: In Jade's POV, there will be a scene not featured in the original fic. Please review and let me know what you think!

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Professor McGonagoll stood up, a frown contorting her forehead. "You are certain that Miss Bloomwood did not return to her dormitory last night?"

"Yes, Professor. Neither was she at breakfast this morning." Snape avoided looking at the two females before him, but couldn't help but raise his brows slightly at that observation. He leaned back in the comfortable armchair, trying to cast his mind back to the Slytherin table that morning.

"And you believe that she is with Mr Malfoy."

Ginny nodded. Snape pursed his lips. No matter what the truth turned out to be, it would spell trouble for the two children if they had been together for the entire time. What was annoying was that it was so unlike them to disappear together without a word.

"On the account that Mr Malfoy and Miss Bloomwood left the ball together."

Ginny answered the affirmative.

"What do you reckon, Severus? Malfoy _is_, after all, of your House."

Severus Snape chose not to answer that. Instead, he considered Ginny, and she held his gaze. As he stared into her brown eyes, he seemed to dive deep into her eyes.

There, he saw her memory as clear as his own vision- Draco leading Jade away from the Great Hall in the direction of the dungeons. There were smiles on their faces, innocent, carefree... Snape pulled out from the memory as Ginny looked away. He stood up and gestured Professor McGonagoll to the door.

As his robes billowed behind him as he strode towards the Slytherin dungeons, recalling the first time he watched Jade and Draco together outside of school.

It was Christmas evening, and he had been invited to the party the Malfoys threw in their Manor house. While the house elf cooked, Jade was outside serving guests and refilling their drinks. The night wore on. Gradually, the guests took their leave, leaving only perhaps the closest of family friends. Narcissa Malfoy gestured for Jade to begin cleaning up.

She moved discreetly across the room, clearing empty plates and straightening cushions. Lucius Malfoy had invited his guests upstairs to his study. Dobby was undoubtedly unheard upstairs, preparing rooms for several guests to stay the night. Draco was at the gate, playing the role of host and sending off his fellow Slytherins.

Jade sighed softly as she bent down to wipe the coffee tables but it was audible enough for Snape to hear. It was a long time before it was quiet outside. The door closed.

"Are you not talking to me?" Draco murmured, appearing beside her as she repositioned the rug. She ignored him.

"Jade, talk to me," Draco persisted, twirling her brown hair in his finger.

Jade's eyes flashed and tugged her hair out of his reach.

"I've nothing to say. Do excuse me."

"Jade! Why are you ignoring me?"

Her face was statue-like as she faced him squarely.

"You have to ask 'why', Draco?" she whispered, staring with eyes that screamed disappointment. The person who seemed to know her best in the world-

"Please don't tell me this is about Potter."

_What-?_

"That wasn't the thing I was thinking of, but for that matter, yes."

Draco's jaws tensed.

"What's with taunting Harry about the lack of proper family, Draco? And the Muggleborns for being what they are?" Jade whispered. "Does it not matter to you that I'm like them too? Every time you say these things, I feel it the same. The effect you are trying to achieve on them? On _me_, Draco."

"But you are not- you _know_ I don't-"

Jade shook his head hysterically, the lack of sleep affecting her behaviour to a certain extent.

"You keep saying that, Draco. You _don't_ mean it. You _can't_ mean it- you've changed. The person who was so nice, so caring... You've lost him. How can you expect me not to change too?"

Draco stood still at a loss of words. Turning away quickly, she picked up pace and disappeared into the kitchen. Draco did not follow, but at his own pace, join his parents in the library.

Severus Snape watched from a corner of the room, hidden into the background with his black robes. His face twitched and formed a sort of grimace as he realised the parallels in this situation to one many, many years ago.

They didn't look alike, not at all- him and Draco, Lily and Jade. Physically, they were worlds apart. But their life... they were walking down similar paths. His face twisted with irony as he realised that.

Only, this time, he wouldn't interfere. Draco should have a right to walk a path he chose, wherever he ended up in, Snape thought. The boy was luckier- Jade _cared_ for him.

He remembered Lucius's request for him to look out for Draco, and to make sure he didn't get too close to Jade. Lucius was going to ask about that later, he'd bet, when Draco was out of earshot.

He decided that he wasn't going to mention it.

But now... If Jade was in Draco's dormitory... Draco would be in for it. They would both be in deep trouble.

As he entered, several Slytherins dipped their heads or acknowledged him quietly. Many others stared as he and Professor McGonagoll made their way to Malfoy's dormitory.

"Has any of you seen Draco up since last night?" he asked quietly.

Silence.

Snape threw open the door, and stared at the emerald curtains drawn of the four poster bed. Pulling out his wand, he pointed at it, but the curtains did not part. McGonagoll met his eyes, looking exceptionally grave.

"Everyone out," she commanded, of the Slytherins who had gathered around. When the door was closed shut behind them, Snape blasted the curtains apart.

Whatever he was expecting behind the curtain, he obviously wasn't prepared for this.

Draco was on top of Jade, ravaging her as tears rolled from her green eyes. The whimpers that were magically hidden by the spell on the curtains now reached them, and just listening to it made his heart shatter. Barely suppressing a shiver, he froze as he recalled Jade asking for permission to leave for the Burrow with puffy red eyes just a few months ago. He had looked into her eyes, and Draco's subsequently... He didn't expect it to turn out this way. He realised that he had counted on Draco understanding his girl better since that time. He hadn't thought to warn Lucius. He _had_ decided not to interfere. Secretly, he might have been wishing for them to succeed where he did not before.

_At this cost._

He paused briefly, before moving forward to pull Draco off. He met Draco's grey eyes and was alarmed to see it almost disconnected from reason... He looked like a hungry animal. Anger rose in Snape's chest and he mustered all his strength, bringing his palm across the boy's face in a resounding slap.

McGonagoll went over to Jade, and conjured robes from mid air, holding the whimpering girl and attempting to comfort her.

When Draco's eyes met his again, there was awareness. Snape watched as Draco turned to look at the girl on his bed in horror at the pain he had caused. He reached for her, but Jade cried only louder. Snape shot out his arm to block him, but there was no need.

He saw what he had done. Draco shut his eyes and let out an almost inaudible moan to every whimper Jade let out.

"Off to the Headmaster's office, Draco."

Draco's eyes met his again, and Snape felt as if there was an endless abyss behind those grey orbs. Hanging in the middle of that was a still image of the crying girl upon the bed. The pain and regret upon his face made him look like he had aged by several years. He nodded, trancelike, then almost as if unable to remove his eyes from her, stared at Jade at every available second.

* * *

Alone in the darkness of the hospital wing, Jade sat up slowly, cushioning her back against several of the fluffy pillows. She was shivering slightly, but not because of the cold. When she closed her eyes, she saw the lust that burned in those grey eyes that she had come to love.

The invisible weight on her heart was suffocating her. Draco did it to her. _Her Draco._

Her thoughts returned to earlier that day, when Professor McGonagall had escorted her to the Headmaster's study. Professor Dumbledore had been kind, but insistant that she recounted that incident to him, and subsequently, answer his questions.

"Has Mr Malfoy- that is, Draco- done anything to you without your consent before?"

She remembered that night of Draco's 14th birthday, when he sought her in the kitchen alone. Her heart had raced, and not all because Narcissa Malfoy had punished her for kissing Draco during the Christmas party. As he pressed her against the wall and leaned in, she could taste the Firewhiskey in his breath, and his eyes had lit up with anticipation. Then he tilted her head up and kissed her on the lips, slowly at first, then kissed her fervently and hungrily. Electricity ran through her veins, and she kissed him back. She flushed harder when his tongue roamed into her mouth...

It came as a surprise when his hands grabbed her thighs, and before she could pull away it was already roaming up into the skirt she was wearing. Ignoring the fire burning in his veins, she pushed him away, hard. But Draco merely leaned in again, assaulting her senses and entering her mouth, his hands groping...

"It's not for you, so stop resisting!" Draco huffed at last, annoyance seeping into his tone the first time Jade could remember it.

The words cut her like sharp blades, slicing through her heart, rendering her motionless as his hands trailed to her stomach, and heading up. She froze as he pressed his lips against hers again, demanding entry, ignoring how her body wanted badly to respond to his touch.

_Not for you._

He using her as practice? God she was stupid, so stupid, misunderstanding his previous kisses, all his smiles and actions...

Part of her mind screamed that that was not true, that Draco did love her. But his words rang true, and that hurt beyond anything.

With strength she did not realise she possessed, she pushed Draco aside, running out of the kitchen as tears streamed down her face.

The next morning he cornered her again, so the excuse she fabricated for him in her mind- being drunk- could not hold true. And it hurt to know, so very much that she asked to leave the Manor for The Burrow the same day. Perhaps Lucius, Narcissa and Snape had seen the puffy eyes that she did her best to hide, the swollen lips that ought to have healed, and understood. Lucius Malfoy passed her the ticket to the Quidditch Cup that he had already bought and let her go.

The trial was to pass Draco as he was entering the room, his eyes set on her. His presence which stirred up crazy emotions in her, and for all her love for him, she wouldn't have wanted to leave.

Yet she was tempted to forgive him for it during the Quidditch Cup, when he had in a possessive tone, stopped Harry from buying her a pair of Omniculars for her and reaching for his own bag of coins instead. And when he met her on the edge of the forest, amidst chaos, pulled her into his arms and begged to be forgiven, and convinced her again that he really liked her... She forgave him. She loved him.

Jade cried herself asleep at her stupidity, cried because of Draco's betrayal of her heart.


	4. Chapter 3

**MALFOOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I do not profit from the story.

A/N: Sorry if I seem to be spamming flashbacks in the following two chapters... I need to bring their past relationship up to date... ^^ Thank you all so much for the story alerts and reviews! =)

**Chapter 3**

* * *

He had been there when Dumbledore spoke to Jade. He didn't understand at first why he and Snape had powerful disillusionment charms placed onto them... Until he heard Jade's narrative.

Having her retell her ordeal, and the emotional pain etched across her face, watching as she rocked herself back and forth in the chair, tears streaming down... His tears fell as well. Because it was obvious that she loved him, and he finally knew the hurt he caused. Because he truly loved her too- but from the moment he accepted Montague's help, he screwed up. To supposedly have her belong to him, he lost her love. He made Jade cry.

The only other time Jade cried it was _for _him, not because of him. And now he was the one causing her pain.

Draco closed his eyes as his mind went back to the Manor.

Flashback

Father and Mother were out of the house, and they were alone again. Rarely did they let this happen, especially since he kissed Jade at the Christmas party. They walked together across the garden. The garden which held so many memories.

_Draco threw himself onto the grass, listening to Jade read Hogwarts, A History. Rather, it was less of the content Draco was absorbing, but more the reader's voice. It was so rarely that he heard her speak nowadays._

_She seemed to enjoy his frequent interruptions as she read, as he added anecdotes his father shared with him. How the castle looked at Christmas and how the prefects did their duties. Everything…_

_The sun came up as they continued lazing. They retreated further into the shade, Jade beginning to read Defensive Magical Theory. Absorbed as she was, she didn't seem to mind when Draco laid his head on her thigh. Her face was hidden behind the book, giving no hint to how she felt._

_Moments passed, and Draco wasn't listening to Jade at all. He pulled her left hand from the book and laid it across his stomach, closing his eyes in satisfaction. Jade peeped over the book at him and Draco smiled._

"_I should be preparing tea," she murmured, as she made to stand up. Draco's fingers locked around hers securely, anchoring her to him._

"_Don't. Mother and Father won't be back until supper."_

_Jade swallowed, but made no answer._

"_Unless you are tired of me?" Draco asked, wagging his eyebrows comically._

_Jade sunk back to the ground, snapping the book shut. Exhaling slowly, she combed her fingers through Draco's blond hair, not looking at him. Her face was like a blank piece of paper, and for a moment, Draco felt uneasy._

"_You aren't still upset over the Muggle-born thing I said at Diagon Alley, are you?" Draco asked, remembering that she overheard him speak to the black haired boy in Madam Malkin's._

_Jade chuckled wearily. Her fingers trailed across his forehead in silence. Her eyes were guarded, her body tense._

"_You know our ways," he whispered, staring earnestly into her eyes. "You are in an old wizarding family."_

"_I'm not pureblood."_

_He knew that too. Jade dropped lightly to the ground beside Draco, sighing. Draco rolled on his side to look at her._

"_I don't care. You're different. You're wonderful."_

_Jade gave him a patronizing smile. "But to everyone else, I'm a probably just a filthy Mudblood."_

"_Don't care about that. If you went to search your family history, you might just turn out to be half-blood or something," he replied. "Besides. No matter what, I'll be your friend. Always. Ignore all the rest."_

_Jade rolled over to stare intently into Draco's grey orbs._

"_Always?"_

"_Always."_

_Jade's green eyes lit up, and happiness suffused her entire face. For some moments, there was silence, the pair of them gazing at each other wordlessly._

"You're behaving very distant, Jade," Draco said, pulling on her hand and weaving his fingers through hers. He looked at her until she met his eyes, and the little blush that appeared on her cheeks made his heart swell.

"We aren't supposed to be together," she replied, as she gently attempted to tug her hand free. "Even though we know now that I'm half-blood, Master Malfoy and Lady Malfoy..."

She looked away, but Draco thought he heard a distinct sigh.

Pulling her close, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, earning an almost inaudible gasp, and Jade's face turning even redder.

"Did that kiss not do to you what you did to me?" he murmured, pressing his lips on her forehead. He breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of her hair and feeling very satisfied.

He could almost feel Jade's heart racing against him.

"I... It did," she said finally, burying her face in his chest. Which was kind of awkward, when he was only inches taller than she was. Darn. He needed to grow taller...

"Then you know that we're meant for each other. How else do you think I found you all those years ago, at the orphanage? We are meant for each other. Not even Father can stand in our way."

Jade wrapped her arms around him in return, and gave him a dazzling smile which sent his heart pounding hard. Or perhaps it was her acknowledgement. He decided then and there that she was the one thing he didn't want to live without.

After several minutes, Draco led her in a run across the garden, like how they used to do it before. It felt wonderful- the wind blowing at their face, the soft grass beneath their feet, and not to mention the feeling of her hand in his.

And suddenly, his foot stuck into a little hole in the ground, and he fell hard onto the ground. Pain shot through his ankle like you couldn't believe, and he blurt out a few swear words. Jade was kneeling beside him in a second, her face white with worry.

"C-can you stand?"

Her voice trembled, and her eyes were glistening with tears that began to form. She stuck out her hand to support him as he tried to put his weight on the uninjured foot, but he sank back into the ground the moment he tried to stand on the bad ankle.

Perspiration formed on his forehead. Draco took deep breaths, trying to think through the fog of pain.

"Let me send an owl to Master Malfoy? Or perhaps I could get someone from outside the Manor..."

Draco squeezed her hand. "I would rather you stay with me actually."

The tears welled up in her eyes as he grimaced from the pain that shot through his ankle again. Gesturing that he was going to stand, Jade helped him up and he put half his weight onto Jade as they walked slowly into the kitchen. The tears pooled over when he made grunts of pain, but they were hastily dashed away.

Draco pressed a fleeting kiss onto her lips. _"I'll be okay."_

End of flashback

"Jade, even if you didn't have your wand, you could have resisted with magic. You didn't," Profesor Dumbledore whispered softly. Draco's ears pricked up and shifted to better see Jade. "Is this because you didn't want to hurt him?"

Her green eyes were dark with pain as she replied, "Yes. I loved him." Realising, perhaps, how inappropriate the feeling was in the light of what happened, Jade began to cry again.

It sent daggers into his heart, because the first time he heard her confess her love for him, she sounded like she felt herself a fool, and hated herself for it. He fell to his knees as she burst into soundless tears, the only thing punctuating the silence as gasps as she breathed.

He almost seemed to feel the Headmaster's piercing blue eyes on him as moisture trailed from his eyelids.

When Jade was brought away to the hospital wing, Dumbledore peered sternly over his half moon spectacles at him, but sent him away with word that he will meet his parents to discuss this, and subsequently, his punishment.

"And you are forbidden to visit Jade," he added, as Draco took hurried steps to the door.

At Draco's horrified protest, Dumbledore stared into his eyes, then met with Snape's. Draco turned to look at his favourite teacher, only to see that there was an unmistakable sense of loss on his face. For some reason he couldn't fathom.

After a moment's consideration, Draco was forbidden only from visiting Jade that day. That night, Draco recalled a dream he had eons ago.

_In Malfoy's dream, he and Jade ran over a wide plain, upbeat. He kept missing her by inches, and he heard her exhilarating laugh when he caught at the air. A slight surge of frustration mixed his adrenaline, watching her bound away from him, her hair flipping with her movements, her light footsteps… All of a sudden, something fixed firmly within his mind, granting him a sudden burst of energy- Draco reached her and spun her around to face him, grinning triumphantly. His stomach lurched as he registered her bewildered eyes-_

_The tenor of the dream changed._

_The skies above were dark, the storm clouds rolling in. He was on a broom and so was Jade… flying around them were several faceless people; strangely enough there was no feeling of fear. The only one he locked eyes on was Jade. There was something like disapproval, disappointment in her green eyes… She turned her broom around wordlessly, zooming past his side. _

"_You said _'always'_, Draco."_

_The icy tone shocked his conscious mind awake for a moment. Wiping off perspiration on his forehead, Draco tried to fathom the meaning of the dream. He went as far as the second location being a Quidditch game before he fell asleep once more._

* * *

He came to the hospital wing on a daily basis, every single day until Jade was released by Madam Pomfrey. It wasn't a punishment set by the Professors, he did so his own free will. Besides expulsion, Draco knew he would do anything- because he had finally known a punishment that hurt the most.

On the first day, Jade had shuddered and escaped to the far corner of the hospital wing when he approached, and trembled so violently in the corner that Madam Pomfrey sent him out. He heard Ginny Weasley whisper to her brother that Jade had been crying and stoning for the entire day as he passed her on the corridoor.

It hurt to know that he was the cause.

Montague came over with a winning smile on his face as Draco entered the common room, asking in a satisfied tone whether Draco had enjoyed Jade. Anger rose to his chest like a snake, and a buzzing sound rang out in his ears. Draco threw a punch at Montague's face, and it collided with a sickening sound.

"What the hell was that potion?" Draco said through clenched teeth, shoving Montague against the wall.

Montague punched Draco back in the gut, almost sending him flying. The other Slytherins all turned to watch as the two boys glared at each other.

"It forces you to continue the first instinct that comes to you. It is not my godammn problem that your instinct was to fuck her!"

_You asked me to strip her! _Draco wanted to scream, but he was aware of the rest of the Slytherins listening intently to both of them. He bit his lip. He wanted to punch Montague again, but before he could, the icy tone of Professor Snape cut through the common room.

"Montague, my office, _now_."

Draco strode away to his dormitory, and slammed the door shut behind him as the Slytherins broke into murmurs. He threw himself onto his bed, noticing that the house elves had changed the sheets. Jade's ripped dress and the bottle of Butterbeer, the two glasses were also gone. He felt the bed, where Jade had been lying against him before and felt a tidal wave of loss crash over him.

The next morning, he realised that the green crystallised flower Jade wore in her hair was on the bed. The flower he gave her, on that very first flying lesson.

_After everyone managed to keep themselves in the air and could land safely, Madam Hooch waved her wand in an elaborate circle, making flowers bloom suddenly from an apple tree._

"_Now you have to fly up to the tree and grab a flower before flying to form a line behind me," she nodded towards the tree to let them start. One of the first to go, Draco completed it without effort, looking out now for Jade's turn. She flew forward after Pansy, gently pulling a red flower from the top of the tree._

_Madam Hooch nodded, and Jade flew down to join the line._

_As she passed, Draco reached out and slipped his flower behind Jade's ear, earning a surprised blush from her. The flower was just a shade lighter than Jade's eyes. _

_Pretty._

_Feeling lots of eyes on him, Draco broke eye contact, leaving Jade to join the line._

"_Oh-!"_

_Draco's head turned instinctively at her voice. Eyes open in shock, Draco's body froze as he watched Jade slip off the side of her broom._

_She fell._

_A split second later, Draco was on the grass beside her, Madam Hooch landing shortly after._

"_Jade!"_

"_Bloomwood, are you alright?"_

_Draco's stomach turned uneasily as Jade slowly sat up. The green flower was still firmly tucked behind her ear._

"_I'm..." Jade pressed parts of her body gently, feeling for injuries. "Fine, I think."_

_She winced as she pressed her right shoulder._

"_It's okay," she added in an undertone to him- but his eyes were screwed tight with worry. "Just a bruise."_

_Draco bit his lip in anxiety. Pulling the red flower from her hand, he leapt up and moved aside as the Gryffindors crowded around her._

"_Stupid, inexperienced Mudblood," Pansy muttered as Draco passed. He shot her a vicious glare, making her shrink away from the extent of his fury._

_As soon as he was far from most of his classmates, he pulled the flower up to his nose and breathed in deeply._

_Somehow, it calmed him down._

Draco tucked it into his robes, and set off for the hospital wing.


	5. Chapter 4

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I don't own Draco. Jade does though. =)

**Chapter 4**

* * *

She first awoke when she felt a warm hand trailing her cheeks. The hand trailed to a spot on her neck, where she knew lay a bite mark by Draco that night, and lingered there. As she stiffened, she heard a familiar sigh, before the hand trailed to comb through her brown wavy locks.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was. Her heart spasmed painfully in her chest as she scooted away, as far as the bed allowed, and sat up.

Draco's grey eyes followed her. If she didn't know better, she would have identified the expression on his face as pain, regret.

"Jade..."

Hearing his voice made her shattered heart clench painfully, and she wrapped her arms around her instinctively.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice wavered, she saw Draco's brows come together as response.

"Jade, I'm so sorry-"

She let out a snort, and Draco froze.

"Malfoy," She saw his eyes widen at the first time she called him by his family name. "The so many times I begged you to stop, the so many times that I resisted you, the so many times that I cried while I was beneath you... And you didn't stop." Tears were welling up in her eyes, and Draco bit his lip.

"I was a fool, Jade," he murmured, as he took a step forward. Jade cringed away. "Montague said that if I took the potion, I would be able to have you for my own. I was jealous of the guys you were with, Jade. I wanted you, I don't deny that-"

"And I'm a fool, Malfoy," she replied, cutting across him in a hard tone. "I am a fool for thinking you ever loved me beyond physically."

Draco's eyebrows knoted together. "But I do love you."

The words sent her broken heart into spasms again, and she clapped her hands to her ears, curling into a ball. Draco slid onto the bed beside her, pulling her into an embrace, but her body reacted instantly in a shudder, and she shoved the blonde boy away.

"Jade..." Draco plead. He sounded strangled.

"Get away from me, Malfoy."

Draco swallowed, and then reached into his robes. Jade froze, thinking that he was pulling out his wand- but instead, a green flower lay in his palm.

"Remember how it came by? Jade," he whispered, as he placed the flower on her hand. She could have replied "of course", but she said nothing.

_Jade kept her eyes closed, feeling the cool evening air caress her face. Leaning against the Beech tree, she focused on the sensation on her shoulder and the sounds her ears caught. She didn't want to think about the flying lesson. Apart from, perhaps, the bit when Draco gave her the flower, and when he was crouched beside her, worried for a change._

_She moved her hand to feel for the flower, still behind her ear._

_A hand closed around hers._

"_Draco."_

"_Did I keep you waiting long?" he asked, releasing her hand with a smile._

_She shook her head, and Draco took the space beside her._

"_Have you any topics for conversation?"_

"_I meant to ask you about how you were coping, but that was before today's lesson," Draco replied. Staring into her face, he asked, "How's your shoulder?"_

"_Like I predicted- just a bruise."_

_Silence._

"_How did you fall? I mean, you were doing so well…" Draco trailed away, keeping his eyes on hers. Jade had a feeling that it wasn't exactly the question he meant to ask, but she wasn't going to press it._

_She exhaled heavily. "Don't want to talk about it."_

_Malfoy stared, but Jade didn't elaborate._

_Her mind drifted back to the lesson earlier. As she flew to join the line, Pansy had suddenly swerved in front of her- Jade didn't know how to emergency brake- her broom tilted too far right… She landed heavily on her right shoulder._

_When she checked it just now, a bruise the size of her palm was forming. Hermione had sucked in a breath in shock… but on her part, Jade was just fortunate not to have shattered her joint._

_Draco saw the resolution in her eyes and sighed, steering the conversation towards lessons. After a moment, tension lifted, and the two fell into a familiar, easy conversation._

_Jade's friends, Draco's friends. The lessons, the teachers… Comparing the layout of their common room, their dormitories… _

"_And he managed to screw his telescope the wrong way! Honestly…" Draco said, shaking his head in an exaggerated manner, Jade giggling with him. _

_Eventually, the laughing urge subsided. The two of them glanced tiredly at each other._

"_Shall we… Head back for dinner, then?"_

_Jade nodded, and Draco pulled her to her feet._

_The sun was low on the horizon as they walked into the castle._

_Jade was silent on the way to the Great Hall, contemplating whether or not to ask. The mood was cheery, and she didn't want to spoil that. She had wondered about it before during Potions, and it was even more apparent during the flying lesson. And yet, it didn't make sense. At all._

"_Oh, and do you want your flower back?" Draco asked suddenly, interrupting Jade's train of thought. He pulled out the red flower from his robes and lifted it to her eyes._

_The flower had a glossy look to it, and Jade touched it gently. Clinging to the flower like a second skin was a thin layer of glass-like material- cold, hard, yet preserving and enhancing the colour of the flower. _

_She sighed in admiration, and Draco offered it to her with a smile. _

"_No, you keep it, Draco. But how-?"_

_Draco pulled the green flower from behind her ear. "Concentration," he responded as it sat on the palm of his hand- for a moment, nothing happened. Then Jade gasped, for the flower rippled and a coat of glass surrounded it._

"_There," he said, tucking it behind her ear again._

"_Thank you, Draco."_

_He shot her a smile, before Crabbe and Goyle came up to him._

Jade's fingers clenched around the flower as her heart throbbed. Draco had always meant the world to her, so apart from the times she fought with him, she had it in her hair. She knew- or she thought she knew, she corrected herself harshly- that Draco liked seeing his gift there. She had worn it during the Yule Ball- some had suggested her not to, since it clashed with her dress, but she insisted, arguing that it was the same colour as her eyes. That was a far cry from the reason she did, though.

In a single stroke, she threw it across the room, where it landed on the floor. It broke. She did not miss the intake of breath by Draco.

Slowly, he pulled out the red flower, the one he had taken from her during the lesson, so long ago.

Draco left it on the bed at her feet with a last pained look on his face. As he headed for the door, she heard him whisper "_repairio_", tapping it with his wand, and slipping it into his robes once more.

As the door snapped shut, tears gushed forth from beneath her eyelids.

* * *

_Fred and George stared at her, then patted her shoulder as their serious faces loosened up._

"_Don't worry about her, Jade," Fred told her, flashing her a smile._

"_Yeah, I expect it's just nerves. The Chamber of Secrets opening up is a frightening thought to the first years, you've seen that," his twin added._

"_Ginny is probably worried as well. But the attacks will have to stop-"_

"_-just like it did the previous time."_

_Jade frowned at the twins, both of them towering over her, goofy grins on their faces. "Well, you do realize that the monster of Slytherin claimed a girl's life before it closed?"_

"_Ahhh," George said, as he stroked her hair. Jade stiffened, and shot an accusing look at him- he knew that she hated that. Privately, she wondered whether her dissatisfaction arose because Draco had always been the only one she allowed to play with her brown locks._

"_Well, we'll just have to sacrifice someone. Maybe-"_

"_-a Squib? Satisfies both the monster and us all."_

"_Poor ol' Slytherin though."_

_Jade rolled her eyes, mock-punching them. The boys ducked, and waved as they made their way to the Quidditch pitch. _

It had been some time since then, Jade thought. Professor Dumbledore had been chased away by the Board of Governors, Hermione and a Ravenclaw Prefect had been Petrified. Hagrid had been taken away to Azkaban, and since then the attacks appeared to have ceased.

And yet.

_Jade scrutinized Ginny's face as she passed her on the corridor. There was no other word for it, really. Distracted, almost as if in a trance. Had it been nighttime, Jade would have guessed that she was sleepwalking. Yet she seemed to have a proper destination in mind._

_Why was she walking alone, unaccompanied by a teacher? Especially now… Jade hesitated for a moment, before chasing after her, deciding on the spur of the moment. She kept very silent, a reasonable distance from her._

_Where was she going? Jade could only get away with stalking Ginny because Professor Lockhart had left them to prepare his next class. And Jade couldn't think of a single other teacher who didn't take the precautions as seriously as Professor McGonagall herself. Had Ginny snuck out?_

_As they walked on, Jade realized with horror that they were walking towards the exact corridor they had found the Petrified students._

"_Ginny!"_

_The redhead pivoted slowly on the spot as Jade caught up with her, grabbing hold of her hand. "Where are you going?"_

_She got no reply, merely a blank stare in return._

"_You are not going- the Chamber of Secrets?" Jade asked quietly, withdrawing her hand. "Are you behind this?"_

_Ginny was as still as stone. Then in a swift motion, Ginny brought her wand down on Jade. A flash of light, almost like a whip- it made contact with her skin. Jade gasped, cringing into a ball as she fell, imaginary flames erupting over her._

_She blanked out._

_A long while later, Jade became aware of a weight over her, almost like a heavy blanket dulling her senses, mixed with discomfort and slight twangs of pain. Some time passed, then she finally found the strength to open her eyelids. _

_Her vision was fuzzy, and she felt lightheaded as she suddenly sat up._

_Madam Pomfrey rushed over, chiding her, but she was only mildly aware of that._

"_Ginny. Help Ginny!" she gasped, as the pain shot up her body again. Her head was swooning, and she looked around wildly, hoping Madam Pomfrey would get a teacher. "The Chamber of Secrets- _hurry_!" _

Jade glanced at the redhead beside her, remembering that it was because of guilt from that incident that Ginny first became close to her. And since then, they became close friends, regardless of that one year's difference between the two of them. And gradually, she had not only Ginny and Hermione as close friends, but the entire Weasley family, as well as Harry. Not as as close as Ron and Hermione, but friends nevertheless.

It was Ginny who noticed her disappearance first.

"Eat. I know it's your favourite cookie," Ginny said, not missing the way Jade's eyes widened when she saw the size of the jar. "How do you feel now?"

Jade shrugged. "I feel that my heart is in pieces. Ripped little pieces."

She bit into the chocolate biscuit, but it didn't make her feel better. A thought suddenly occured to her, and she stared at the biscuit in her hands.

"Ginny, I never told you this was my favourite cookie," Jade whispered. Ginny's eyes refused to meet hers. "Where did you get this?" she added, suspiciously.

The redhead squirmed beneath her gaze. "Malfoy heard that you were hardly eating any of your meals."

Jade sighed, and put away the cookie jar. "I should've known."

"But Jade, you must eat."

"I really have no appetite, Ginny."

Jade's eyes trailed to the red flower on the table, to the jar. Biting her lip, she looked away and tried not to think about anything.

* * *

_Jade walked purposefully across the street, glancing only briefly at the address she clutched in her hands. Her heart pumped hard in her chest. Not that it was a nice sensation._

_Her legs led her along, and her mind wandered._

_Dobby had been acting strange these days, disappearing for lengths of time. Of course, no one noticed besides herself, and she attempted to discreetly cover his duties. And every time he returned, he made sure to punish himself, slamming his head down on the hard, cold floor or whacking himself in his head with the poker. _

_She said nothing, taking the lead from the Malfoys. _

_And one day, these weird disappearances stopped. Dobby came back to take on his duties, but not before shutting his ears in the oven door. Not speaking a word of what was going on, but looking grimly satisfied._

_It was after he returned that she could go full scale on this… Searching for her real parents._

_Not that Jade wanted to live with them again- the pull to the Manor was so strong- but she felt it necessary to find out her parentage._

_Jade tried to put away the thought, the possibility of how her lineage mattered if she cared for Draco. She managed to convince herself against that line of thought. It was almost a gift- things that were staring in her face, she could ignore and convince herself otherwise. And believe it… Until it was proven beyond all doubt._

_Not that the latter had ever happened before._

_The letter was unfolded in her hands again, and she read it through once again, the lines that she had almost memorized by now, and then placed it back into her pocket._

_For this occasion, she was wearing some of Draco's old clothes again- jeans and long sleeves, even though she was threatening to outgrow it. It was now clinging to her body, showing off her thin figure… Nevertheless she made a mental note to try to enlarge it when she reached Hogwarts._

_The wind blew her hair behind her, and she embraced the sensation._

_After the exams last year, she had approached Professor McGonagall, seeking help to find out about her lineage. It began with her trying to find out what her middle name was- the curious R in her letter from Hogwarts made her wonder. The records in Hogwarts was that it stood for "Rebecca". _

_Then, on a curious hunch, she asked the Hogwarts ghosts whether they remembered anyone who resembled her, named Rebecca._

_The Bloody Baron had stared- or glared- at her, no response whatsoever from him. Sir Nicholas replied that her eye colour reminded her of a student- a male- though he remembered neither his name nor his house at that moment. Fat Friar whom she approached next gave her more than she had ever expected. Jackpot._

"_There was a girl in my house who looks almost exactly like you," he said after studying her for a few moments. "Your hair colour, your features… Your wavy hair and eyes may have been from your father."_

_She had held her breath as he searched his memory for her name. The fact that it seemed to coincide with Nearly Headless Nick's observation was too much to hope for. And yet…_

"_Rebecca Williams."_

_With that information, she had eventually gotten where she was now. She had written a letter to her mother, who agreed to see her in the family house. Of her father, she still knew nothing of except that he was probably from Hogwarts- but it was probably going to change after the meeting._

_She had no idea how the woman would be like._

_When the door opened, Jade was stunned for a moment, for the woman standing before her was almost like a reflection. The face shape, skin colour, features, the exact same brown reflected in her hair… Staring deeper, though, the woman was full grown, and her face showed lines of sorrow hidden beneath its exterior. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, but it was obviously straight. Looking into her dark blue eyes, Jade saw a flash of hurt, though the smile on her face showed otherwise. Jade estimated that the woman was only thirty._

"_Come in, Jade," she murmured, beckoning her into the house._

_The house was not big, though it was probably biased from Jade's point of view. This was a two storey high cottage, and the manor was many times larger. But somehow this house was more homey._

"_I probably have to apologize for leaving you at the orphanage, but I won't be saying sorry for not bringing you up, Jade."_

_Jade tried not to consider the treatment she received at the orphanage, and gestured for the older woman to continue. Rebecca sighed._

"_Maybe I owe you an explanation why," she murmured, as she opened a can of homemade chocolate cookies. As the began to nibble through them, Rebecca told Jade her life story- of how she had a great crush on this guy in Hogwarts, Jade's father- Malcolm Bloomwood… And how all the dreams and belief in him shattered._

"_I never expected to see him in such a state. We were in his house, my other friends having left earlier… We were alone."_

_Jade felt a chill down her spine._

"_He forced himself on me," Rebecca said, as tears leaked out from her eyes. Her body trembled, and she folded her arms around her torso almost instinctively. "I tried to stop him. And he actually jeered at me as I struggled, crying. His actual words were 'Isn't this what you want?' and taunted me on my feelings towards him-"_

_Rebecca broke off, choking on her tears. Jade sat there, at a loss, trying to comfort her but failing, stroking her hair, patting her. It was half an hour before she regained some composure._

"_I was eighteen when I gave birth to you. I had considered bringing you up, but when I saw you… I'm sorry, but your eyes. His eyes exactly, and I also saw myself in you as an infant. It was too much for me, the weakling that I am," she said bitterly. "I'm sorry that it affected you, though."_

_A moment passed, before the mood was gone._

Lying awake, Jade saw the parallels in her mother's story as her current situation. She didn't cry this time. Her eyes were so swollen from the number of times she cried in the past three days that she had no tears left, for now.

* * *

Time passed. It was a while before Jade could stand being close to guys again, but the Gryffindors were understanding. But word had spread out from the Slytherins of what had happened between Malfoy and Bloomwood- or rather, part of the truth.

"How much for one night, Bloomwood?" a Slytherin boy had asked to the entertainment of his friends, who wolf whistled.

Jade clenched her fists, leaving cresent shaped indents marks on her palms, striding away to the next class, surrounded by some of the Gryffindors, who hissed at the boy.

They had realised that Malfoy was trying to reach Jade, not only during combined lessons between Gryffindor and Slytherin but also on the corridor and in the Great Hall. And Jade didn't want to speak to him, not at all. So some of the Gryffindors made a conscious effort to stick near Jade during lessons and between corridors. Whenever he made a move towards Jade, they closed like stage curtains, and Jade would slip away.

"Jade, he's outside the portrait hole. Apparently he won't leave until he talks to you," George said, watching Jade closely as she raised her eyes from the essay she was writing. There wasn't a need to speak his name- for one, it was understood. Another thing was that she reacted to the mere mention of his name.

"Thank you, George," she murmured, as she returned to writing, the scratching of her quill against the parchment loud in the half empty common room.

"Should I hex him?"

Jade bit her lip, but shook her head quickly. Fred came over, and the twins pulled a chair over each, leaving a considerable personal space between the two of them and herself. She was grateful for that.

"Jade, you're not sleeping well are you? You've got bags under your eyes."

"I stay up to finish my work, Fred."

The twins rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Try to get some rest, or you'll collapse, Jade. Sleep in tomorrow or go with Ron or Ginny to Hogsmade. Catch some rest."

She bit her lips and barely nodded. As the two of them headed for the boys dormitory, Jade called them back. "Will you... Tell Malfoy that I will not see him, and to leave?"

She caught the look on their face, which plainly said _you can't bear to see him out in the corridor, freezing to death just to see you right?_ With pursed lips, George went to the portrait hole to convey the message.

"Thank you."

They nodded, and left.

She sat up the entire night in the common room. The following morning, she went out of the portrait hole to see Draco sitting against the wall, shivering.

Her tears gathered, but she hurried away before he could say anything. She wasn't going to forgive him. Especially not since what he told Rita Skeeter about Hagrid.

* * *

Her heart thumped faster as she tried to clear the spilt ingredients as quickly as possible. Professor Snape had sternly sent away the Gryffindors waiting outside the dungeon for her, and all she could do now was to hope that Draco wasn't outside waiting as well.

She dipped her head as she passed Snape, walking quickly out of the dungeon. The door to the dungeon closed.

Jade heaved a sigh of relief as she saw the empty corridoor, but hurried along nevertheless. She turned a corner, and was tugged into someone's arms. _Draco's_.

His hands, so gentle this time, pressed her against the wall and cupped her mouth. Her body spasmed, and she struggled to be released. Draco's eyes lowered, looking a bit disappointed.

"You have gotten so weak, Jade," he said, his voice almost trembling.

Jade threw more strength into pushing him off, but Draco pressed his body against hers. At once, two major feelings took over. One was of absolute fear, as the trauma of what he did to her rose to mind again. The other was of her ragged heart beating properly for the first time so long. As he pinned her hands to her side and leaned in, Jade's face heated up, and a comfortable flame began to burn somewhere near her navel.

Draco tilted her chin up gently and stared at her eyes with his own grey ones. They were shining with light again. Jade felt a crazy temptation to reach for his face herself, but before she could act on it or restrict herself, Draco's lips pressed down on hers.

_They felt so soft._

Electric began running through her skin, at every spot Draco was touching her. One of his hands was wrapped around her waist, as he kissed her repeatedly, then using his tongue to beg for entrance. When she didn't waver, Draco's lips trailed down her cheekbones to her neck, leaving both of them panting heatedly.

Finally, he cupped his hands on her cheeks again.

"I love you, Jade. Don't let me live without you again," Draco breathed, making her heart pound faster than before. "Forgive me..."

Jade swallowed, then tried to push him away, disregarding how hot her face felt.

"You still aren't using magic, Jade," Draco breathed, and angled his face down to kiss her. This time, his tongue slipped into her ajar mouth, and emotions burned in her chest so violently that she had a hard time reigning in her body's reaction.

When they broke apart again, Draco smiled in the way she loved so much that her heart trembled. He hugged her to his chest, and laughed contentedly.

"You still love me, Jade."

She wasn't sure if it was awe that she heard in his tone, but her heart throbbed painfully again. She shoved him away, grabbed her bag (now lying beside her feet) and rushed off.

Yes, she loved him, there was no way she could deny that. Part of her still yearned for Draco's touch, for Draco's love, for the heat of Draco's body near hers, for the feel of his lips on hers. But even while he touched her, another portion of her body feared him, and feared the returning affections. What he did to her before was one- another was fearing that he would break her already battered heart.

Gods she wanted to be able to love him again, and feel his affections. But she didn't dare to take that risk- the risk of being torn into little pieces.

Draco did not approach her for the rest of the day.

She barely caught a wink of sleep that night.

* * *

_Over the babble of the crowd, their eyes met, and her frown made him stop on the spot. Slowly, he turned away, heading away from the Gryffindor stand, his lips set in a tight line. Jade couldn't help but feel a small part of her feel a slight pang of disappointment, as her gut told her that he was planning to make up._

_Another part of her was tired of it. The discrimination against muggle-borns, the attitude towards Harry and Ron… And what got her more pissed was Draco bullying Neville._

_She had been coming down the stairs from the dormitories at that moment when Neville toppled into the common room, his legs bounded together by the Leg-Locker Curse._

_"What happened?" _

_"Malfoy," Neville replied shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."_

_When she heard that, she'd closed her eyes and walked away, more disappointed in Draco than ever. She had tried not to listen to what the others said of him, how much the other Gryffindors detested Draco. She would never see from their point of view, not really. Maybe it was cowardly of her._

_Now, in the deafening pitch, she shut the ears of her heart as well, and watched Harry beside Hermione. As she felt her heart crave for her to turn towards Draco's voice, her fingers clenched into a tight fist._

_Her eyes stayed on the pitch._

_"You're in luck, Weasley. Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!"_

_Jade's throat tightened, and she forced her eyes to follow Harry as he sped towards Professor Snape._

_But that changed when she heard Draco yelp._

_Her head turned so quickly it hurt- the following actions she didn't pause to think over. The sound of his involuntary gasp jabbed at her nerves with ice. Never before in her years with him did she hear this before- that of him wounded. Her heart stopped out of worry for Draco, and she scrambled over the seat to break up the fight. On one side, Neville was trying to throw punches at Crabbe and Goyle, and on the other, Ron and Draco were standing slightly apart, fists up and about to fly at each other._

_Jade pushed past Ron and crashed against Draco, just as the two boys were about to exchange blows._

_Draco's fist landed hard against the side of her ribs, causing her a shocked intake of breath- before he reigned himself in, his hands catching her. Tears sprang to her eyes almost involuntarily as the ache registered._

_But another part of her mind waved that away, registering a very different sensation instead. Jade felt her heart pounding hard against both their bodies._

_She raised her green eyes to his grey ones._

_Jade's heart clenched painfully as she saw a bruise in the forming, gathering around his left eye. She reached her hand out to his pale face, her fingers trailing the edge of it gently, not wanting to add more pain. Trembling, her tears poured over. Not for the ache that was forming on her side- the ache that made it hard for her to breathe, originating in her chest._

_Draco's hand reached over to her, but she moved swiftly away from against him, resisting the temptation to throw her arms around him._

_Cowardly once again, part of her mind noted sarcastically. She didn't dare to indulge her emotions. She was frightened of the consequences._

_Ron saw her expression, and backed away._

_She dashed away her tears, and sped swiftly into the castle. She was running away._

_From the situation, or from the emotions that arised._

She grimaced at herself, realising that long before she had admitted it, Draco had already held a great place- the only one- in her heart.

* * *

A/N: I managed to churn out this chapter and the previous one at one go, so I think I should upload it... For the following chapter, I am half done, so I think I will update asap... =) do I see any smiles?

Anyway, I have been spamming flashbacks, and I think that's about all the flashbacks that I have. About all. =) Hope the flashbacks managed to convince everyone that Draco isn't a full time jerk... ^^ Please please please review?


	6. Chapter 5

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I don't profit in any way from this fic.

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_She was too close. She was too close for him to not get caught by surprise, and the fact that it was her made him lose concentration on the fight with Weasley. But his fist landed on her side- he could feel her soft skin beneath his fist- he had exerted force great enough to leave a bruise... His stomach twisted, as the girl before him winced._

_Draco caught a whiff of her scent, the smell of the shampoo she used all the time, calming him down a little. He caught her properly, pulling her closer, almost by instinct._

_That sensation again. It flooded through his mind, his body, his heart, a lingering tingling sensation in him. Then a hot burst of emotion, as if he was going to combust._

_He had never been so physically close to her._

_Weasley's eyes narrowed from behind Jade, but he could sense that the fight was over, as much as he wanted to land another punch on him._

_As Jade gazed into his eyes, Draco felt his throat tighten. His fingers trailed up from her elbows, tempted to touch her cheeks, feel her skin beneath his hands... And as hers touched the side of his eyes, Draco had to barely resist a sigh of satisfaction when he saw the adoration she had for him, hidden beneath the surface._

_In the end, they came to an unspoken mutual agreement._

_It was apparent that keeping away would be disagreeable, highly disagreeable to the both of them, even if it was a subconscious thought. There was a bond between them, something that wasn't so apparent before the episode of the Quidditch match._

_They met under the Beech tree sometimes to study for the exams together, and sometimes he would come over to the Gryffindor table with more cakes or sweets at home. They would smile at each other, talk, falling into a pattern that formed their relationship before- it wasn't tedious to communicate at all, just like breathing._

_There was still something that they did not speak about. Both of them held back, guessing and hoping only that the other party had felt the weird electricity, how their hearts went out for each other. Nothing was concrete, and they did not know... but they trusted their emotions in the hands of the other, whatever it represented and however it would turn out._

_Sometimes, they couldn't resist staring at the other for long lengths of time. Wondering about their feelings, wondering about the current situation. When their eyes met, they would smile self-consciously, but they continued to watch each other. And the longer they continued this behaviour, the more attention they attracted. From the teachers, from the other students._

_Each person who tried to infer was a liability. They themselves did not infer either. They knew somehow that once they thought the three word phrase, the balancing act may collapse. It was a risk that they couldn't take for themselves, which would allow them to stand up straight if people accused them of such a relationship._

_Come what may later._

_For just like how Draco knew she was at the orphanage... They knew it to be a connection that ran deeper than what may have possibly be._

_Naming it, on the other hand..._

"_Not hungry, Draco?"_

_Draco blinked. Looking away from Jade's back, he replied by attacking his steak. It was the Halloween feast, and the smell which wafted to his nose made his stomach growl._

_He was being stupid, seriously._

_As he put a goblet of pumpkin juice to his lips, Professor Quirrell burst in through the doors. He was pale, his eyes hysteric- though was it his imagination, the slight determination in his eyes-?_

"_Troll – in the dungeon- thought you ought to know."_

_A moment of silence, before chaos broke out._

_A sense of panic started to build in his chest, as his eyes scanned the hall for the one person. People were swarming to the various exits, Prefects at the head of the line. _

"_Come on, Malfoy," a Slytherin third year said, prodding him from where he was rooted on the spot, head craning to see over the sea of people._

_The worry began to constrict his breathing. It wasn't rational, not at all, but still..._

_He swallowed and continued scanning the crowd. There was something stuck in his throat as he considered what he wouldn't think aloud... It musn't be..._

_A warm hand enclosed around his, tugging at him, breaking the spell. Without looking down, the worry subsided and his pulse returned to normal._

_Neither of them said anything, but Malfoy wrapped his fingers around hers more securely._

_Jade didn't look at him, but once they were out of the Great Hall, she tried to pry her fingers free. He didn't relinquish his hold._

_Their eyes met._

_Some sort of sensation bubbled up in his chest- a feeling half foreign, but almost natural. He wanted to touch her face... her hair..._

_But before he could put his finger on it, Jade pulled her hand away with a small sigh, shaking her head in exasperation. She turned, walking quickly to Gryffindor Tower. Draco pulled his hand away from where it stayed in mid-air, staring at it. The impulse had been very real._

_Without words, they both knew. Their thoughts had been with each other._

Her slap hurt more than he could imagine. As he reeled from the pain, a recklessness overcame him. As Snape pulled him away from Jade and Potter and Weasley dragging Jade away from his embrace, he felt his body trembling.

"Let go of her," Draco hissed. Perhaps from the surprisingly vicious tone, everyone let go. As crowd froze with bated breath, nervous tension filling the air, he walked towards Jade. He tucked her hair behind her ear and looked earnestly into her green eyes, his cheek burning painfully where she'd slapped him.

"Jade," he whispered, but in the silent corridor, it travelled. "_I am not going to go after you like a deranged, lovesick fool like I have been for the past forty-five days_."

He took a step forward, but Jade looked like she was going to recoil. His face hardened.

"I love you, Jade. Don't doubt it. But I am not going to continue this. If you will not have me, if you will not forgive me-" his voice lowered to a breath, his lips beside her cheek. "-I will stay away. For good."

His grey orbs held her gaze, unwavering. He saw the effect of his words on her, the turmoil going on in her, the pain it caused, the blood that left her face as the words registered.

She tried to breathe normally, but he could hear that her breathing got uneven.

Jade lowered her eyes.

"Then perhaps you should leave, Draco."

Draco's heart tore as he registered the renewed use of his name- yet used in such a manner. She was really giving him up? Part of his brain screamed that that wasn't the effect that he wanted to achieve, yet part of him accepted it, respecting her decision.

The past, the past that he had counted on so hard, that he had used to cheer himself on throughout these one and a half months, that he believed in for so long... So it was all worthless. Hope that had long expired. Yet that was all his fault. He crushed it- what could have been a wonderful future with the girl he loved.

Jade began to tremble, turning away quickly as he caught a glint of tears in her eyes. Part of him wondered why she should cry, yet another part of him immediately reached out for her.

Words, the weakest and yet producing the most powerful effects.

He spun her around and embraced her hard. As she broke down, he kissed her forehead. Five seconds later, he strode away from the corridor without a backward glance, not turning back even when the girl who meant more to him than his own life crumpled into a heap on the floor the moment he let go of her.

* * *

Her eyelids were perpetually red now, and she lost weight at a crazier rate. Draco frowned as his eyes darted back to his food, making sure that no one noticed him surveying Jade.

He heard Pansy's high pitched exclamation of his name, and smiled at her, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. As the Slytherin girl chattered away, he nodded and added comments randomly to keep her going. He glanced back to the Gryffindor table, where Jade was trying to get up and leave, but was being fired down by the Weasley twins. Draco glanced at her plate, and scowled as he realised that she had barely eaten anything.

Her eyes met his briefly, and his heart leapt in the confines of his chest. She looked so frail-

"Draco, a talk with you," came the familiar voice of Severus Snape.

Draco rose from the table, and everyone watched as he followed Snape out of the Great Hall.

"Professor?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Draco's eyebrows shot up to his forehead, and blinked. "What, Professor?"

Snape down at him from his hooked nose with a raised eyebrow. "You and Miss Bloomwood are deteriorating in health." When he continued to look surprised, Snape conjured a mirror from mid-air, then put it infront of Draco's face. Draco was slightly surprised to see that his cheekbones were more prominent than usual, and he was looking a bit off colour himself.

"I'll take care of myself, Professor. Thank you," Draco murmured. "I am more worried about her," he added, in an undertone, his cheeks turning slightly pink. It was embarrassing confessing his weakness to another, yet it slipped past his tongue almost instantly.

"She has been collapsing in class, I hear."

Draco's eyes widened, his heart turning cold. Struggling to look nonchalant, he cast his mind about for a different topic, ignoring how desperate that need was when he next opened his mouth- "That aside, Professor. Why haven't I been punished?"

Snape regarded him in what might have been sympathy. "Miss Bloomwood insisted that she didn't want you to be punished."

Feeling a rock sink to the bottom of his stomach, he bid the professor good night and returned to the Great Hall. With more urgency in his gaze, he scanned the Gryffindor table for Jade.

But her seat was vacant, and with more things cluttering his mind, he downed the rest of his dinner and quickly retired to his dormitory.

* * *

The Gryffindors took his words seriously, and when he seemingly ignored Jade's presence, the crowds 'protecting' Jade disappeared gradually. It helped, because he could catch glimpses of her properly now. He never raised his eyes when he felt eyes on him, but was careful to time his staring appropriately.

And what he observed made stabbed at his heart, no less painful than a physical injury.

Her shockingly green eyes lost their lustre- most of the time, it looked clouded over with pain. Her cheeks were colourless, though he was always the fairer of the two. Her smiles looked forced, and more often than not resembled a grimace. She looked so thin, so frail that it broke his heart.

But what hurt more was that he couldn't even approach to beg her to eat, because the moment he was in a three metre radius, she moved so quickly away that she could have Disapparated. When he met her eyes ever so rarely, she looked away like a frantic bird would.

And when she saw Pansy beside him, he would see her turn away and clutch at her heart.

Watching her was killing him, but he turned reckless if he did not lay eyes on her at least ten times a day. She was like a drug, but he couldn't be rehabilitated. Especially not since her pressence did him more good than her absence.

He coveted her love again.

This evening, he was moving sluggishly towards the Great Hall for dinner. He was late, but he didn't care- he had been in his dormitory working on an idea that he had for Jade's present before he made that massive screw up and had been addressing an angry letter to his father before that.

As he turned the corner, he heard familiar footsteps before him. He strained his ears as his heart accelerated on its own accord, pounding quickly even before Draco could register the other person late for dinner.

_Jade_.

He froze, watching her as she took little steps forward, looking unsteady on her feet. Her breathing sounded abnormally difficult as she moved forward. Then, without warning, she slumped to the ground.

A moment of horror, as Draco recalled Snape saying that she collapsed in classes, before he was racing to her, falling on his knees.

He murmured Jade's name over and over again as he helped her up, leaning her against the wall. Pulling out his handkerchief, he hastily dabbed away the perspiration formed on her forehead, holding her face in his hands as she slowly recovered.

When the colour returned briefly to her cheeks, she pushed him away with as much strength as a feather. Draco stared as her palms contacted with his arm. It was trembling.

Smothering the urge to pull the girl into his arms, he moved an inch away, and watched as she shakily attempted to push herself to her feet. She wobbled, before falling to her knees once more with an almost inaudible groan.

His heart twisted in pain. Draco slid to her side, draping her arm around his shoulders as she had to him nearly a year ago.

"Let me go, Malfoy," she whispered. He bit his lip as he registered her words, and felt her body tremble where he was in contact with her.

"You are calling me 'Malfoy' again?" he asked conversationally, wrapping his arm around her waist as he supported Jade to her feet. She wobbled a little, but silently accepted his help as he steered her forward.

She was so light. Unnaturally light. It unnerved him.

"Where are you bringing me?" came her soft voice.

"The Great Hall. You need to eat," he mumbled, but she could hear him- she was so close that he could hear how weak each breath she took was.

"I want to be back in Gryffindor Tower, Dra- Malfoy."

His heart missed a beat. "Hospital wing or Great Hall, Jade. Choose one," he whispered. "Do you not know how much you made me worry?"

Her green eyes flitted to his own, wide open. Then she looked away.

At the entrance of the Great Hall, she stopped, and pushed lightly-_ to him_- against him. Not wanting to make her exert more force than necessary, he shrugged away from her, with one lingering hold on her waist, released her.

She walked in alone.

Draco counted sixty seconds, before he followed suit.

* * *

He watched as Jade made her way up into the stands, looking strangely lost as she scanned the stands for familiar faces. That didn't surprise Draco, though. Draco would never admit it, but he had scanned the stands twice over, scanning his eyes through the crowd over and over again, in a bid to locate his green eyed love. Granger wasn't in the stands, and Jade wasn't beside the Weasleys either.

His eyes met Jade's, and her eyes darted down quickly. Then a frown creased her forehead as she registered the only seat in the vacinity was somewhere in front of him. Yes, Draco got the feeling she didn't want to be visible to him- or, perhaps, like him, she wanted somewhere where she could watch him without being caught.

Draco almost smiled at the thought.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our four champions have now entered the water, and they have one hour to recover the person they would miss most from the depths of the lake!" came Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice. "From Hogwarts school, Mr Cedric Diggory is now searching for Miss Cho Chang!" He paused, as the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws made appreciative hoots. "From Hogwarts school, Mr Harry Potter is swimming to save Mr Ronald Weasley!"

The Slytherins jeered and Draco flashed his Potter Stinks badge with the rest of them. He saw Jade's back stiffen, and Percy Weasley's face set into tense lines.

"From Beauxbatons Academy, Ms Fleur Delacour has to recover her sister, Ms Gabrielle Delacour, and from Durmstrang Institute, Mr Victor Krum's hostage is Ms Hermione Granger!"

The Gryffindors and Durmstrang students cheered, but Karkaroff looked unhappy.

Eventually, the spectators fell into small talk. Draco swallowed, as he reached his hand into his robes and felt the small, hard box. His eyes remained on Jade.

Should he do it? Now?

He stood up, and made to move towards Jade, but at that moment, Jade sprung to her knees. Watching her with wide eyes, Draco suddenly wondered if she had seen him approach without even turning her head- but Jade didn't look at him. She hurriedly made her way down from the stands, and headed quickly towards the castle.

Draco didn't remember deciding it, but his feet were following her out of the grounds. As he passed Snape, Draco saw that he had been staring at Jade, frowning as though he meant to follow. A weird flash of emotion rose in his chest- what felt like a cross between possessiveness and disapproval. Catching sight of Draco, Snape's frown lifted slightly.

He knew Draco's resolve.

"She looks very ill."

Draco nodded, and sped up. As he walked away, he wanted to slap himself for behaving as if Snape could have been a threat to his feelings to Jade. His feelings towards Jade, not being reciprocated, was screwing with his rational thinking.

Draco _wanted _to be with her.

His hand landed on her arm as she was rushing into the castle. She was burning hot, and as she spun around to stare at him in surprise, Draco saw that her steps were unsteady. She was sick. Very much so.

"Jade," Draco whispered, taking a step closer to her slowly and meaning to wrap his hands around her. "What happened to you?"

"Go away," she replied, as she turned away. Clutching at her chest, she pulled away from Draco, and made towards the nearest bathroom. Draco blinked in surprise, before following her.

Jade rushed into the girl's toilet, and Draco watched as she fell onto her knees in a cubicle. Hesitating for only a brief second, he stepped in after her, just in time to hold her hair away from her face as she threw up into the toilet bowl.

Each shuddering breath she took drove needles into his heart.

He sank to the ground behind her, taking her into his arms before she could slump against the cubicle wall. Jade didn't protest- or perhaps, she didn't have the strength left to. Draco breathed into her hair, amazed that this simple position and gesture could have such an effect on him. He felt as though he had been in pain before without realising, but being with Jade suddenly released all the tension and discomfort within him. Even as worry was gathering in the pit of his stomach for the brown haired girl lying in his embrace, he felt better than he did for a very very long time.

Jade made to stand up, and he supported her up.

"What happened?" Draco asked, flushing the toilet as Jade rinsed out her mouth at the basin. "What happened to you?"

Jade looked into the mirror, straight at him. She didn't say a single word, but it hit him at once- _she was suffering in his absence as well._

Warmth built up in his chest, and electricity shot through his veins as he mulled over the sound of that. His mind was barely in control as his arms sought her, and he felt a crazy need to be in her mouth, to feel her lips against his.

Jade took a step away from him, watching him with guarded eyes. Draco noticed that her eyes had more light than usual. She swallowed, and then walked out of the toilet.

"Jade..." he murmured, and it made her stop in her tracks. She was trembling, her wavy hair looking like they were rippling in the sunlight. Draco pulled her close to him, and her eyes widened.

"Go away Draco," she whispered, closing her eyes as he tightened his grip on her.

"On the contrary. You don't want me to let go," Draco replied, flashing her a cocky grin. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, sighing in contentment.

"You don't want me, Draco. So just go," she whispered, pushing him away with more force. Where their hands met, Draco felt her skin burn his. Literally. Draco was distracted as his worry deepened. How long had she been so ill?

Jade walked unsteadily towards the grounds again, but almost lost balance.

Draco caught her, and with a sigh, slung her onto his back. She had lost so much weight that she was unhealthily light. Far too light.

"I want you, Jade. You can't imagine how much I missed you," he said, meeting her eyes. He saw a flash of hope cross her beautiful green eyes, and barely suppressed a sigh of satisfaction. "Give me another week or two and I would have thrown myself at your feet, begging you to take me back."

"... perhaps I should have waited for that."

Draco didn't see her face, but he could imagine how her mouth would curl upwards at the corners as she said those words.

"You'd have break my heart a hundred times during that span of time?"

Jade murmured something like "mine would have broken a thousand times", but he wasn't sure. They reached the hospital wing, and Draco settled her down on one of the white beds. He knew that Madam Pomfrey was in the grounds, so he'd have to wait until the end of the second task before Jade could get treated. Meanwhile, he took a piece of towel and magically filled a basin with water. Getting a chair near the bed, he dipped the towel into the water and wiped it across Jade's forehead gently.

Jade shuddered, and tried to shrink away from the cold towel. Her eyelids were heavy, but she kept her eyes trained on Draco.

"Don't worry, I won't try anything," he promised, as he brought the towel across her cheeks and neck as well. "Sleep. You need rest, love."

The moment he said the four lettered word, his cheeks heated up. He didn't dare to meet Jade's eyes, which were now wide and he could feel burning a hole in his face from the intensity of her stare.

Then, she closed it. A half smile spread across her lips as she twined her fingers through his.

"I was just afraid I would fall asleep and wake up to realise that it was yet another dream."

Draco's eyes softened, and he wondered if he could assume that it meant that she kept dreaming of being with him. He gripped her hands firmly, the love swelling in him, making him feel whole. Wonderful. Words couldn't express this.

"I'll be here, Jade. I won't leave you again."

Draco watched as she drifted into slumber with a smile on her lips.

They wouldn't be parted again, after this. Of this he was sure. Draco smiled at that thought, wiping the towel across her head again, his hand never leaving hers.

* * *

A/N: Hope everyone liked this chapter! =D Please review~


	7. Chapter 6

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm sorry if I made you all wait, but I'll do my best to post the following chapters soon. Though the tests and assignments are coming my way in a scary wave, I'll do my best...

With this chapter will be the end of MALFOY MANOR's equivalent of J. K. Rowling's Goblet of Fire. In the subsequent chapters, I'll move the story on to the Order of the Phoenix, the Half Blood Prince and eventually the Deathly Hallows. Aiming to show what the Dark side was doing in this span of time... Hope every one looks forward to it! Thank you for reading! =)

**Chapter 6**

* * *

She stayed in bed for an extended period of time. Apparently, she managed to get herself so weak and badly nourished in that period of time that after Madam Pomfrey cured her fever, Jade went ahead to catch a serious cold amongst other illnesses. Her body was reacting badly to food too, thanks to how she mistreated herself. Unintentionally, of course.

The door opened slightly, and Draco came into sight, smiling when he saw that Jade was awake. Jade felt her facial muscles work, and before she knew it she was sporting an identical one.

Draco moved to sit onto the edge of her bed, reaching for her hand. Jade placed her hand into his, as a glowing feeling erupted in her chest. As Draco brushed her locks behind her ears, he reached further down to her neck, pulling out the necklace he had given her days ago.

That day, after she fell asleep in the hospital wing due to her fever, she was unsettled to find Draco lying sitting on the bed, extremely close to her. She had shot up, and glanced around to check that she wasn't in Draco's dormitory again for some reason, then stiffened as Draco placed his hand on her face, trying to soothe her.

Madam Pomfrey had bustled over almost immediately, but Jade had seen the slight hurt in Draco's eyes. When Madam Pomfrey left after giving Jade her potion, Draco had scooted over and presented Jade with the necklace. It comprised of a simple, golden chain- the pendant was a stunning navy blue, formed into a heart shape. Even without asking, Jade realised that the pendant was made of some sort of gem. Her lack of acquaintance with gems made her unable to tell _which_ it was, but she didn't dare to ask.

"I spent quite some time trying to magic it into turning into this shape," Draco said, as he placed it around her neck. "Meant to give it to you earlier, but..." Draco trailed off, looking away self consciously.

At that point of time, Jade had been literally overcome with emotion. Not because Draco had given her a present, _though under normal circumstances perhaps she would_- but because she could for some reason, feel, albeit very vaguely, _Draco's emotions_.

She could feel the cold heart shaped pendant hanging before her chest- and Draco's emotions were radiating off it, right into her mind. Or heart. It didn't matter.

Jade could feel his insecurity, could feel his nervousness as silence reigned. Then, as she pulled him closer and smile at him, a warm, glowing sensation that echoed hers. The connection was weak, barely there, but she could still distinctly feel it.

She lay her head on his shoulder, and felt an answering response in the surge of emotions that rose through the gem.

"Jade," he whispered, nuzzling his face into her hair. Jade stopped trying to read the sensations he felt, torn between telling him about it and attempting to read her own emotions.

Draco apologised. At first, as he told her about how he had wanted to ask her to the ball, and how he had succumbed to the possibility that Montague opened to him, Jade's insides turned into ice, and it took all she could muster to stop herself from pulling her hand out of his. Then as he explained his rationale, and spoke of his horror and hurt when he saw the effects of what he had done, the frankness and pain that radiated from the gem melted her fear away.

At some points in time, he paused, and sighs escaped him. She took an intake of breath, barely audible, when she saw a very blurred image of herself, shunning Draco as if her life depended on it, and the sensation that certainly reflected Draco's own- twisting pain through his heart...

At that point she tried to stop him, as in really tried to- but Draco insisted that she heard him to the last.

"... And like I said before you feel asleep, Jade, I'm going to stick around. I'm not leaving you again."

Jade smiled, and on impulse, kissed him swiftly on the cheek.

In the brief moments while she was blushing and Draco made no response, her stomach churned over and over, and her heart pounded crazily hard. Yet she was whole again, the pounding did not pain her as it usually did. Because this time, Draco was here. And... by the looks of how his cheeks flushed, the feeling was mutual.

When she finally dared to meet Draco's eyes, she saw that he was smiling. Slowly, as if careful not to frighten her, he leaned over and pulled her face close to his. Cupping her cheeks gently, he kissed her chastely, and Jade responded in kind.

Jade told him about the necklace, and for the first time, she saw Draco blush so red. Flushing herself, she pulled the necklace hastily from her neck, but Draco gently stopped her.

"It is just as well," he said, as he avoided her eyes carefully. "Now you will know that I mean every word that I said."

"Jade."

The girl in question started, as Draco smiled at the earnest gaze she sent in reply. Draco reached into his robes. "Since I did... _it_ to you, I tried to convince Father that I wanted to marry you, if you ever would have me back." He paused, toying with the box in his hand. Jade felt his emotions swirling like how the box was. "Professor Snape helped to argue my side... He said it was the honourable thing to do. But for me, it was mainly that..."

He took a deep breath. "I didn't want to be apart from you again, Jade."

There was a brief pause, where Draco opened the lid of the little box. There was a ring inside, but Jade's eyes were glued onto Draco's grey ones.

"I love you, Jade, really I do. Can you feel it?" he asked, pressing the blue pendant at her chest. A fresh surge of emotions, clear as her own, entered her heart. He wasn't lying. Draco loved her, just as she did him. All the emotional pain that had wreaked through her body and mind the past two months... they were but a distant memory. The icy stabs she received whenever his eyes met hers, then looked away... The sensation that all energy drained from her when she thought that Draco only lusted after her... They disappeared.

He loved her. And she felt the truth of it not only through the gem but the core of her being.

Jade looked down at the ring sitting in the little box and gasped. Around the silver band was a ruby red Phoenix- it spanned half the length of the band, and the other by a pure white Unicorn.

"I did the two engagement rings myself," Draco said, replying the question that burned through her eyes. He pulled out an identical one from his pocket, holding it up in his palm. "That was as far as Mother and Father allowed me to go. Apparently, we're still too young."

Jade was beyond words, but gestured for Draco to put it on for her. He did, and continued to put the matching one on his left hand.

"Draco," she said, her voice quivering just a little, "I can feel your emotions even more now."

Draco groaned, a pink tinge rising in his cheeks. Jade pulled him closer, such that he was right beside her, their shoulders touching.

"You can't feel mine? Not at all?"

Draco shook his head, as he sighed ever so softly.

"Then let's exchange rings every month or so. Perhaps I will form a similar bond as the bond that you created with the gem and the rings," Jade said with a smile. "I think one day, the connection will cease to be one-way."

* * *

Jade held her breath as she pointed her wand to the sphere of glass spinning in mid-air. Slowly, the glass glowed ruby red and began to reshape itself. She bit down hard onto her lips, hoping that this twentieth try would work out. As it continued spinning, she half smiled to herself, pondering how the other experiments had failed her time and time again. The glass dropped lightly into Jade's outstretched palm, and warmth spread in her heart as she surveyed the finished product.

The glass was finally in the shape of a heart, but the redness in it was just a bit off. She tapped the glass with her wand, shutting her eyes in concentration. When she opened them again, she sighed in contentment. The pendant seemed to envelope molten red glass.

Jade grasped the glass pendant, feeling her heart and pulse at her hand pulse together.

_Draco…_

She pulled a thin gold chain through a tiny hole in the glass. As she watched Draco walk into the library with a loving smile, her heart soared. Keeping the gift hidden behind her back, she put other hand into Draco's expectant hands.

The rings pulsed in unison, and the blue gem lying on her chest warmed with satisfying heat. Jade couldn't repress another smile, as Draco's eyes twinkled pleasantly. She could only hope that the glass heart in her hand would bring the same emotions across to Draco as his pendant did, once he put it on.

* * *

The more time they spent together, the more they could feel through the rings and pendants. They could feel each others' emotions clearly whilst near each other. When they touched, they could feel a faint echo of each others' thoughts. It was awkward in the very beginning-

There was a moment, when Draco was holding Jade's hand at a corner of Hogsmeade and staring into her eyes, the thought of sneaking a kiss onto her lips rose to mind. As a fiery tongue licked through his insides, Jade suddenly flushed and turned her head, hiding her face behind her hands. Draco groaned, embarrassment seeping through every inch of his skin- but as much as Jade tried to pull her hand from his grasp, Draco didn't let go. Despite the fact that his longing and embarrassment that would definitely be screaming in Jade's head as clearly as if she felt them herself, for the life of him he couldn't let go.

It was like the bond that brought them together was now tangible and amplified. It felt so natural, because while those emotions belonged to the other, it was part of them as well.

They were together, as it should be.

* * *

Draco mouthed the word "later", before exaggerating a grimace and following the other Slytherins into a carriage on the Hogwarts Express. Jade very carefully avoided Harry's path, and joined Ginny and the Weasley twins instead. But there was tension in the carriage, despite how the conversation was light and of no consequence. There was conflict in their eyes when they stared at her.

"Spit it out already, guys," Jade whispered, at long last.

The Weasleys exchanged a glance, then looked pointedly at the ring on her finger.

"You're engaged to Malfoy? Really?"

Jade tried to grin, but Ginny's tone was grave. "Yes. You know that."

An inaudible sigh went through the carriage. Jade frowned, as she fingered the beautiful ring that Draco had made for her.

When Harry had reappeared with Cedric, dead, in the third task, Draco still looked calm, even when Jade was on the edge of her seat with worry. They weren't touching then, but now Jade wondered what he was thinking of. Upon Professor Dumbledore's speech, Draco's face had hardened- though his emotions still could be felt through their bonds, Jade didn't dare to analyse it.

There was something in the air that was different, and she feared to know what.

Her mind suddenly cast back to almost a year back, when Draco had met her at the edge of the forest amidst the chaos of the Dark Lord's supporters sporting Muggles. She remembered how Draco had replied to Harry that if his father _was_ in a mask, he wouldn't be likely to tell Harry.

And that same night, the Dark Mark.

Something clicked in her mind, though she tried not to believe it.

"… _we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you, in this Hall, have already suffered greatly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst._

"_Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."_

Tears seeped through her eyes unexpectedly, and Jade quickly blinked them away. By Merlin, it couldn't be…

"Jade?"

"But I can't leave Draco, George!" Jade blurted out, as the Weasleys surveyed her with disappointment and sadness. "I can't, and yet…"

She didn't doubt now where she stood. She was on the fence, at the threshold of both what was good and what was Dark. On one hand, she should not and could not leave Draco- if he was entering the wrong side, she had to be there to watch over him, and stop him from falling beyond hope. On the other hand, Jade knew clearly that she should not even be on that side- she knew, clearly, what was right…

The twins patted Jade's shoulders before exiting the carriage, leaving Ginny quietly sitting beside her. It seemed to take forever for the Hogwarts Express to pull into King's Cross.

As they walked in opposite directions, Jade cast one last look at Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys gathered together.

It was a parting of ways, she recognised it now. This summer was the start of something different- not merely for her but for the entire wizarding world.

Jade only hoped that in the end, she and Draco would be able to find themselves back in the right side.


	8. Chapter 7

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I do not profit from this story in any way.

**Chapter 7**

* * *

She read through Harry's letter once again, aware that Hedwig was waiting expectantly at the window.

_Jade,_

_Apparently waiting didn't help. I get the feeling that Hermione and Ron are together, The Burrow perhaps, but their responses are as vague as ever. Thus this second letter to you. To be frank, I'm not sure if this is appropriate in the first place, considering your engagement- and like I said about June. Though I can imagine Hermione telling me that your beliefs won't change because of that, and that as a friend, I ought to trust you._

_There's nothing in the newspapers, and not even in the Muggle news. Nothing at all, and it bothers me. It feels like a blindfold, this lack of information... I stumble along, yet I know there's a manhole somewhere. It's discomforting. I know your position might be hard, but do you have any news? After all, you _are_ situated at the best possible place for information, _besides Privet Drive_._

_That aside, thanks for the cookies. Also, hope you are well at the Manor- that your fiancé is treating you properly._

_Harry._

Slowly, Jade picked up a quill from the mahogany table. She cast her mind back, to the changes in the Manor since she and Draco returned.

There was much more secrecy in the Manor now. Doors which were never locked before now hid behind them meetings, some which lasted half a day. Many people came in and out of the Manor, and Maser Malfoy left the Manor more himself. With the increased number of people staying for dinner and the number of rooms occupied, Jade would have collapsed with the amount of work, had it not been for Draco.

Draco had been given permission to sit in at some of the meetings and was expected to dine together with their guests at the dining table, the two things Jade was instructed not to do. Quite obviously, the Malfoys ignored the rings on both Jade and Draco- things continued like usual. Usual, plus the increased workload.

But rather than join the meetings, Draco chose to share the burden of the house chores with Jade. Even if it was just serving tea, laying tables and washing dishes, it went a long way... Not even covering how comforted Jade felt when he chose to spend time with her instead.

And he was always by her.

_Dear Harry..._

A soft knock at the door. Jade recognised immediately it as Draco's, and speedily tapped the parchment with her wand just as the doorknob turned. Her heart swelled spontaneously as she looked into Draco's eyes, and her hand automatically stretched out to meet his.

Draco smiled, then placed one hand on the back of her chair, the other playing with her brown locks. Jade returned to the letter.

_... And speaking of my fiancé, he's currently standing behind me, reading this parchment with a slight frown on his forehead. I wonder what he's thinking about- don't you? Perhaps about the curses you and the others put on him on the Hogwarts Express a while back. No, that was just a joke. And judging by how his eyebrows are slightly raised, he had already forgotten about that too. Never mind, forget that. I am trying real hard to forget how much time I had to take to perform the counter-curse..._

_Don't worry about my well-being. I'll be more than fine, with Draco with me- wait, he's gesturing something..._

Draco rolled his eyes at Jade, who stuck her tongue out playfully. Draco paused for a moment, deliberating something- before swooping down and meeting her tongue with his lips, pulling away just as swiftly.

They both felt the fire that exploded in their chest, and as Draco watched Jade's face turn red, his flushed as well.

"Can I w-write on that?" Draco asked, trying to suppress the frantic heartbeats. Jade had her hand on her chest, and nodded weakly. She was blushing so hard that Draco could almost feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. Careful not to come into contact with her just yet- _her blush looked so endearing, so tempting... his blood burned..._- Draco took both the quill and parchment.

_... Potter, Malfoy here. _[he wrote.] Jade stared at the contrast in handwritings, and shook her head with a smile, the blush not faded from her cheeks.

_I would like an honest reply by the next owl as to whether you like my Jade. In that way. She _is_ my fiancée, and you are stealing my time with her, Potter._

"There."

Jade stared at Draco, before giggling. "That was very obvious jealousy, Draco."

"What will you have me do?" Draco asked, as Jade slipped her arms around him, still chuckling at what he wrote. "You even made muffins for him."

"Goodness," Jade said, taking a step back and surveying him. "So it _is_ jealousy I hear, Master Draco?"

"Drop it," he muttered, pulling her securely into his embrace. Feeling her heart flutter against his made joy rush over him in renewed waves_. 'You can feel it yourself.'_

_'No, not jealousy. Definitely not jealousy.'_ Jade thought, with a hint of a smile.

Draco gently pulled away, rolling his eyes at her. "Let's get that owl going, shall we?" Draco asked, starting for the door. Jade nodded, scrawling two words at the end of the parchment before tying it and the container of muffins on Hedwig's leg.

"Deliver it safely," Jade muttered to the snowy owl, stroking her beautiful white feathers.

When Harry received the letter, he would feel first the disappointment of reading only about how Malfoy was treating Jade, amongst other trivia- not that he did not care about Jade's wellbeing in the Manor but rather that he did not get what he expected- then feel his eyebrows raise as he scanned through Malfoy's penmanship. He barely refrained from scoffing, but continued reading... then, just at the bottom of the parchment, Jade's hand again:

_Tap this._

Anticipation rushed through his veins, a welcome change from frustration, and would make him more alert than he had felt for the last few weeks. He drew his wand, for common sense assured him that Jade didn't mean for him to use anything else.

The moment his phoenix wand touched the paper, Jade's words turned into streaks of ink, crawling across the heavy parchment in irregular directions. For a brief second, Harry felt surprise, and the thought of wondering how Jade could do this- use magic out of Hogwarts- entered his mind... But as the shiny black ink began forming words in bold, large characters in Jade's handwriting, it was pushed right out of his head again.

_There is much more movement in the Manor, though I can't say if it has to do with the Dark Lord- there are closed doors I'm not supposed to enter. It may be that what Professor Dumbledore says will come to pass, but not yet, I think. Not yet._

Then, in a larger font: _Destroy this._

* * *

This year's party was different- that Draco sensed immediately. The guests this time were all Father's friends. Usually there would be a few Head of Departments from the Ministry, but not so this time. And because he was the one who saw them off, it felt particularly telling that the Missus and his fellow Slytherins left early.

Draco approached the heavy door of the library slowly. There was a burning curiosity within him, and an instinct to be part of the meetings- but being by Jade had been his priority. Now that Jade was asleep...

No, Jade wasn't asleep yet. From the ring and the pendant, Draco could still sense the ebb and flow of Jade's emotions, reacting to his own. He felt Jade's concern... Which in turn gave rise to his guilt. Draco paused in his steps, tempted to turn around and curl up beside Jade in her room. That he felt Jade sense, and her unmasked affection and gratitude towards him burned away his misgivings. Her calmness radiated through to him, and he knew without checking that Jade was giving him the go ahead to do whatever he wanted. That she wasn't upset.

Draco touched his pendant, exhaling in relief. _Go to sleep, love. I'll be fine._

_-I know that. I love you too, Draco._

He jumped as he heard her. Ignoring the flush that crept onto his cheeks- _she heard him? She actually heard him!_- he stared at his hand. The ring was touching the smooth red pendant. Was the bond amplified thus? Or had their bond strengthened through the exchange of rings? Or perhaps, with time...?

Footsteps were audible on the stairs behind him, and Draco raised his eyes reluctantly. Narcissa Malfoy came into view. His mother smiled as she drew level with him, knocking once on the door of the library, then silently beckoning him forward. Draco took a deep breath, realising at the same time that Jade's awareness had receded from him. A gentle clink of his ring upon the pendant assured him that Jade was alright. Pondering not on how distant her bond felt all of a sudden, Draco scanned the library.

The drapes were down and the lights dimmed, making the usually bright and inviting library look dark and mysterious. Not unlike the style of the Slytherin dungeons, but Draco pursed his lips at the change. The bookcases were almost haphazardly shoved to perimeters of the room, making space for a long, heavy table and a dozen chairs of polished wood. Narcissa slipped into the chair beside Lucius, who was at the head of the table, a fact which made Draco feel a slight tinge of pride. He then nodded at everyone seated- Crabbe and Goyle, Avery, Nott... His grey eyes widened slightly, then smiled widely at Professor Snape, whose lips lifted just a bit in acknowledgement.

Draco drew a chair at the bottom of the table, hyper aware that everyone was staring at him. As he lifted his head again, everyone had turned to look at Lucius again- who was looking with satisfaction at his attendance.

"Back to the point, this is the list of people who are against the Dark Lord. We'll see to them in due time," Avery said, handing a few rolls of parchment towards the head of the table. Lucius Malfoy nodded, then unrolled a parchment, reading aloud Macnair's report from the mountains.

After an hour or so in the dark library, Lucius rose from his seat. "Does anyone else have things to report?"

A few of them shook their heads, and Snape looked boredly down the long table.

"Father," Draco said, his pulse quickening as his eyes drew the gaze of the entire table- all except Snape, whose eyes wandered around the library. "Has the Dark Lord risen again?"

There were mutterings and slight chortles, as Lucius looked at his son. Snape looked up, his eyebrows raised- the black eyes showed some sort of amusement, but Draco could not fathom why.

"The Dark Lord _has _risen, Draco. You are in the company of some of his Death Eaters." At Lucius's words, Crabbe and Goyle nodded, looking extremely proud of themselves. Draco's finger twitched as he compared the similarities of the fathers and their sons.

"Then can I join, Father? I would like to serve the Dark Lord."

As soon as his words left his mouth, he realized that people were staring at him with interest. Cold eyes of varying shades looked him up and down, apparently trying to evaluate how he'd be as one of them. But before Draco could feel heartened by that, Professor Snape raised his hand to silence the table. Lucius nodded at him, gesturing him to speak.

"Not while you are still at Hogwarts, Draco. You are yet fifteen, and the focus now ought to be your education."

A murmur of assent ran across the table. Draco opened his mouth to protest, but Narcissa cut across him, opening up a plain jewelry box. Shiny Floo powder glittered, a clear dismissal. "As usual, Crabbe? Goyle?"

The two in question grunted and blundered towards the fireplace.

"Well, we'll get going. 'Night, Lucius, Narcissa," one of the Death Eaters said. Severus Snape nodded to all three Malfoys and led the others out of the room. Narcissa saw them to the door, where she watched as they Disapparated just beyond the gates.

Enthusiasm was rolling off Draco in large waves, but he wait until his mother had returned to the room before speaking again.

"But why can't I join? I know more than other Slytherins already- moreover, I am your son, Father." Lucius and Narcissa glanced at each other. There was… some apprehension or unwillingness in their eyes. "And I reckon I could do better than some of the adults- Wormtail for one!" He paused for a moment, as his mother shook her head resolutely. "Unless this goes beyond my age?"

Lucius walked slowly to the window, pulling apart the drapes. He stood quietly, looking out at the moonlit grounds. The scene radiated serenity, yet also some sort of forced calmness. "Is it not an honour, Father?" Draco pressed on in an undertone.

"It is no longer your decision to make, Draco," he said at last. "Or should I say, no longer solely your decision to make."

"What-?" Draco's eyes scanned between his two parents. His mother's lips pursed, as she raised her wand to restore the library to its former layout, but it was clear she was unsatisfied by the topic. "But Father, you'd approve, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you, Mother?"

"That's not it," Narcissa said, as the last book shelf shifted into place. Draco's eyes fixed on his mother's, whose eyes finally met his own. "You have to consider your position. Think about the girl whom you are engaged to."

Draco fingered his ring as he almost instantaneously felt his heart lift.

"Are you sure you want to involve her in this? Because by being your fiancée, she will be."

"Think about it. A half-blood, and her mother's side overflowing with Muggle lovers."

Yes, neither of the two used Jade's name and neither did they seem to like the idea of Jade being their daughter-in-law, but it was one step forward. It was the first indication of them accepting Jade as Draco's fiancée, and the first indication that either of them cared one whit of what happened to her.

Draco went to bed, but he couldn't fall asleep. Night was when the mind and body could rest, yes- but it was also the time of the day when everything that happened refreshed itself in his mind. Thoughts of his Jade entered his mind constantly- as if there was nothing else that happened to him in the twenty-four hours. The deeper connection, the fact that his parents had affirmed Jade in their own way, her smiles, her emotions as their skin came into contact... He wanted to be with her, wanted to see her, to be beside her… Later, Draco entered Jade's room to find her half awake. He kissed her on the cheek, feeling his heart expand when he was finally beside her- just by being there, complete satisfaction. Draco draped his hand over her waist as she lay curled up against his body, and murmured his name.

Heads touching, the two of them drifted into sleep together.

* * *

When they returned to the castle, they still spent the bigger part of their free time together. Places where there were depressing memories before, they lingered to overcome it with their hearts beating as one. Apart from Draco's dormitory, everywhere he had made her cry, Draco walked hand in hand with Jade through. And it did help. They were too happy together to focus on the past.

The air was cold, and Jade wrapped her arms around herself more securely, her right hand scribbling on in the essay. Staring closely, her even handwriting was getting less regular. A result, undoubtedly, of her fingers getting stiff from the cold. Draco's eyes flicked up from his essay, and glanced sideways at her. Jade's lips were set in a resolute line, her green eyes focusing on the parchment in concentration. Occasionally, her attention went to the reference books on the table, and flipped through it rapidly to check particular details. For him, there wasn't much to say- just that his eyes rove over to the girl beside him every minute or so. Shrugging out of his cloak, Draco quietly draped it over Jade's shoulder. Those pretty green eyes lifted to his grey ones, and a little pink formed on her cheeks. He extended his hand to wrap around her cold fingers without remembering the decision to do so.

Despite the chilly surroundings, bubbly warmth exploded from Jade's chest. It was burning in the same place as Draco's- the source the pendant and the cause their affections.

Jade barely suppressed a sigh of contentment as Draco's warmth radiated from the cloak comfortably. She inhaled, and though she was no dog, Jade loved the scent. Feeling Draco's amusement, she looked up to see Draco watching her, smiling as though he saw exactly what she did. Jade flushed, and pressed her fingertip gently onto Draco's forehead.

_-Quit staring at me already! You are making me self conscious._

_- Your affections for me are quite adorable, love._

His honest affections and her embarrassment spewed over to the other, intoxicating them both. Jade could feel her heart racing, racing...

Someone cleared his throat, reminding the two that they were not alone. Yes, the library was anything but private. The pair realised that they had been leaning closer and closer to each other, Jade's finger having trailed from Draco's forehead to his jawline- she pulled away quickly, pressing her cold hands to her warm cheeks. Draco sighed, and Jade felt his disappointment mildly through their bonds.

Jade shook her head rapidly to clear her head, the blush not faded from her cheeks. Draco exaggerated another sigh, before taking Jade's lead to continue writing their essay.

Half an hour later, Jade heard Draco put down his quill.

"You're done already?" she asked, with a hint of surprise. Draco nodded and smiled as he swept the wavy brown hair behind her ears. A tingle went through her spine.

"Then let's go," Jade said, gathering her books and shrugging out of Draco's cloak. Pulling on Draco's hand, she steered him away from the bookshelves which hid nosy parkers.

* * *

A/N: My deepest apologies for uploading this so late! First, there were tests (there still are and will continue to be) then I had a mega writer's block regarding the last scene. I wanted to do more to it, but as of now it doesn't seem to fit. And it does not help that I haven't had time to read through the Order of the Phoenix yet, so I'm sort of blundering through the scenes I created myself now...

Harry learnt of the Order at the start of the book, did he not? In this case, I made Draco ask to join already... And while Harry has no information, Jade in contrast gets to see some movements on the Death Eaters' side. Do you have any other scenes in the Order of Phoenix that you want to see from Draco's/Jade's point of view? Please review to tell me!

Thank you so much for your patience! =)


	9. Chapter 8

**MALFOY MANOR**

Disclaimer: I do not profit from this fic. Some paragraphs you will find almost directly quoted from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

**Chapter 8**

A/N: First of all, my gratitude to _Jackiie Hallows_,_ littlemomo-chan_ and_ JohnnyDepIsMine_ for reviewing in the previous chapter! Secondly, I apologise for taking so long posting- I didn't know how to string together my random ideas about scenes I could have in the Order of the Phoenix. In the end, I decided that I wasn't getting anywhere and I should really just get it going... And so, here goes! Hopefully the chapter is satisfactory...

* * *

The couple fought. And this time, neither side spontaneously sought to undo the situation.

On Jade's part, it was too much. Being in the Inquisitorial Squad for that Umbridge hag and Draco's provocation of Harry and the Weasley twins during the Quidditch match was clearly overboard. The main point was not whether she felt sour that her fiancé caused her House to lose a Seeker and two Beaters- _and not even that Draco had led the Slytherins in the stupid song meant obviously to unsettle Ron_- but that Draco had _known_. Through their link, Jade had pleaded for him to reign in his emotions, to _stop_ even before the twins heard his insults. Her stomach turned as she saw Draco bruised from being punched repeatedly, and tears fell spontaneously from her green eyes- but she was not about to put her foot down.

If his pride was worth more than her begging, there was nothing to say.

Draco did not see himself in the wrong, and to him, Umbridge was exactly what Hogwarts needed. The faster Dumbledore had to relinquish power the better! To put the school back into the prestigious state it was in during the time of their founders, you first had to have capable, useful teachers. And Hagrid, for one, was obviously not.

A stalemate, in a way. But neither of them released their engagement rings nor the pendants on their necks. Because through the link they knew that annoyance and self righteousness was the only thing keeping them apart.

Respecting their current differences however, Draco spent a weekend experimenting with how to limit how much the bond could reveal. The result was that they could only feel the changes in emotions of the other. When Draco was the cause of Jade's change in emotions, he could feel it clearer. And that was what he lived for- feeling her heart quicken and expand every time she saw him, despite how she'd avoid his eyes. But even if his ring was in contact with the red pendant, he couldn't hear her thoughts anymore.

Just once, however, he did. When Jade had screamed in her mind for him, it reached him as clearly as if she had been standing beside her. And the fear that had radiated over almost made him nauseous. After one second of shock, his legs led him instinctively to where Jade was. He had burst into the Slytherin common room before the logical part of his brain caught up with him- _why the hell was Jade in the Slytherin common room? Much less on a Hogsmade weekend-!_

Some of his fellow Slytherins were manhandling Jade. And by how Millicent Bulstrod's eyes shone with malice and Blaise Zabini's hands lingering a bit too long and inappropriately on _his_ _fiancée_, they weren't planning to stop.

In the corner of the room lit green, Draco's rage burst forth like water in a dam.

No, he did not pull out his wand. The pure hate radiating off him made the small group of Slytherins part to let him through. Shaking uncontrollably, Draco extended his hand to Jade, the thin line his lips formed revealing how hard it was to keep the anger in check. Once she put her cold hand in his palm, he'd dragged her out of the place, not saying a single word until they reached the grounds.

Jade had sunk to her knees against a tree, her visage pale while Draco stood erect.

Without warning, Draco threw his fist against the trunk of the tree, uttering an oath. He then dropped to his knees beside a stunned and worried Jade and pulled her face towards his.

He kissed her ferociously. When he was about to pull away, Jade had pulled him close for more. Draco panted as the kisses intensified and… how he could lose himself in her green eyes-! The kiss radiated love, relief and a usually hidden longing- topped with gratitude and wonder that he had found her. For him too. It was a renewal of his promises and words to her before, despite their differences.

Draco and Jade sat underneath the shade of that tree for the next few hours, his arms curled around her waist. They stayed this way, in their own world, ignoring the stares from other students. Sometimes they met the knowing eyes of the Professors.

When they broke apart at dusk, they hadn't come to a consensus about their differences. Stubborness from both parts, and how it was going to be resolved it wasn't certain… but that did not stand in the way of their love. _Nothing_ stood in the way of their love.

* * *

Jade's heart was pounding frantically in her chest, and the fear threatened to make her hurl. From the moment Zabini's eyes had sparkled with triumph, the confidence that drove her disappeared.

She had managed to get Ron to catch a breath and tell her what he was rushing about for, but all he had said was that they required distraction.

"Oh come on, Ron," she said, a frown crossing her features. "Two heads are better than one. While you are looking for Umbridge, I could help you find Filch and pass the message- back up your story. So Peeves is wreaking the Transfiguration department?"

The redhead nodded, and they parted in different directions. As Jade relayed the fake information to Filch, she cursed as his lips curled upwards in a sneer. For some reason, the game was up and she knew it. Then Zabini appeared with the badge of the Inquisitorial squad pinned on his robes, pocketed her wand and hauled her away to Umbridge's office.

It wasn't fear of Umbridge so much that was making her weak now though.

With one strong hand, Zabini had secured both her wrists painfully behind her. What was affecting her was what _the other_ hand was doing- running up and down her arms and occasionally in contact with her back as they walked.

Jade knew he couldn't pull something with Umbridge's office in sight now, but his actions on top of how hungry he had looked when she was cornered in the Slytherin common room… Bile rose in her throat, sickening her. Draco's concern reached her through their bond, but it was no solace.

Jade was terrified. Almost as terrified as she had been when she realized the note that was signed Draco was a fake, and the Slytherins had her trapped in the Slytherin dungeons. As terrified as when they approached her, their expressions promising…...

The door of Umbridge's office burst open as Zabini shoved her inside. The surprise on Harry's face, and the other members of the DA at seeing her there was nothing as compared to the expression on Draco's. It lasted a split second, before Draco had his face in a cool mask. His eyes stayed locked on her though, and the surprise- mingled with what Jade suddenly realized as hurt- continued radiating through the ring. Neither of them heard as Zabini related to Umbridge how Filch had caught her lying about Peeves and sent her to Umbridge's office through him, nor the exchanges between Harry and the High Inquisitor.

"… I have no alternative but to force you. Draco-" the said person startled, and turned to face Umbridge. "Fetch Professor Snape."

Once Draco slipped out of the room, the brief relief disappeared with him. Jade filled with icy dread as Zabini subtly pulled her closer. Her arms were touching his front now, and the Slytherin was breathing down her neck. Jade bit down hard on her lips, trying to stand as still as possible. If she moved, she'd most certainly touch him… A thought that she barely repressed a shudder at.

She had kept things from Draco. While he had joined Umbridge, Jade had joined Dumbledore's Army- her name signed on the sheet Hermione had passed around in the Hog's Head. Yet as much as she wanted to, she did not belong there. Apart from Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys, just about everyone else who had signed looked at her with mistrust as Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four came through.

She didn't blame them, honestly she didn't. When you had a fiancé who was on the enemy's side, it was hard for people to put their trust wholly in you.

Amongst the entire room of anti- Umbridge students, she was the one who didn't belong.

Finally Jade had given up trying. She accepted the fake Galleon that Hermione had insisted she take as a member of the DA, but to put everyone more at ease, she had unofficially quit. Her heart still went out for their cause, but her absence at the Room of Requirement was deeply appreciated.

When Cho's friend was discovered to have betrayed their secret rather than her, people hadn't think any better of Jade. Not that she had expected them to. Perhaps to them, it was just a matter of time that Jade had the words SNEAK across her face. It didn't matter. To Jade, it really didn't matter.

Zabini's fingers were trailing her back now, and Jade struggled to keep the tears_- from fear!-_ from welling up in her eyes. Her eyes cast around like that of a frightened bird, but everyone else was too busy fighting their captors to notice her distress. Luna and Harry excepted, but there was nothing they could do either.

Severus Snape entered the room. The knot in Jade's stomach lessened a little as she saw Draco, and even the barely noticeable frown that crossed Snape's forehead when he noticed her was comforting.

As Umbridge's toadlike face broke into a smile, Draco had slipped to Zabini's side and shoved him firmly away from Jade. Jade didn't get to see Draco's expression, but by the feelings she sensed from Draco that bubbled very close to the surface she got an inkling of how he might have looked. As if confirming the mental image that Jade had conjured in her mind, Zabini moved away from the pair unhappily.

A brief second where Jade's hands got relief from the ache from Zabini's grip, before Draco's warm hand circled her wrists. His hold was firm, yet designed not to give her more discomfort than what could not be helped. Draco's left hand wrapped around Jade in what could be viewed as a headlock. The lack of pressure applied however spoke a very different story- it was more of an embrace.

Draco pulled on her, leaning her back to come into contact with his chest. Their eyes met.

He wasn't blaming her. He didn't want to know if Jade decided not to say. All he wanted was that she was alright. That much Jade sensed from the soft gaze.

Jade knew too, that Draco could sense her gratitude for saving her from Zabini.

In Draco's arms, she watched as Snape was dismissed from the room by an angry Umbridge. The couple watched together as Hermione cracked, pressurized by the threat of torture used on Harry, and when Umbridge decided to bring none of the Inquisitorial squad with her.

Once Umbridge left the room, Draco burrowed his face in her hair and sighed quietly. The arm around her neck loosened and fell to rest on her waist.

Jade's pulse quickened pleasantly.

"That's no good, Malfoy," Zabini said in a mocking tone, making Draco's head snap up. "You don't know how to handle your captive." He took one step closer. Draco straightened, tense. "You're having a hard time resisting your girl aren't you, Draco? Shall _I_ show you the correct way to hold Bloomwood?"

Everyone's eyes were on the two guys now.

"Lay a hand on Jade again and suffer my wrath, Zabini," Draco said in a nonchalant tone, but his stiff form betrayed his true feelings. Beneath the surface, Jade could feel Draco's mixture of protectiveness and possessiveness acting up.

A silent standoff between the two males started. The Slytherins were staring at the three of them, as a result not noticing what Jade did.

The DA captives were exchanging glances at each other. It seemed… as though they were going to take advantage of their captors' distraction. Luna caught Jade's eye and gave a wide grin.

It required some effort not to start at that. Jade watched how Luna's eyes flicked towards Zabini, then back to her. Understanding dawned onto her.

_Your cue will be when he approaches._

Zabini did, and while Draco loosed his hand to reach into his robes, Jade saw from her peripheral vision Ron's nod.

Jade pressed her finger to the pendant at Draco's chest, causing him to look into her eyes in surprise.

_I'm sorry, but trust me._

Jade pulled Draco's wand from his slackened grip and pointed it to Zabini.

"_Expelliarmus!"_

The wand flew into her waiting palm, and as she shoved Draco's wand back to him, she Stunned Zabini. Meanwhile, Luna and Ginny were wrestling get their captor's wands, and the guys were fighting off the Slytherins. Jade Stunned Crabbe- Ron shot her a quick glance of acknowledgement before ducking a spell that had missed Luna.

"Catch, Neville!"

Zabini's wand almost slipped out of Neville's awaiting hands , but Neville proved himself by landing a well placed Impediment Jinx on Warrington. Draco pointed his wand at Neville, but Ginny had quickly hexed him instead, sending him to the floor with flapping things on his face. She caught the look on Jade's face, and grimaced in apology. Jade's lips pursed but had barely time to complain as she ducked a hex from Luna's captor.

Ron and Luna shouted _"Stupefy!" _ in unison, and the office was suddenly quiet.

"We actually did it," Neville said, the tone of surprise unmistakable.

"Yeah we did," Ron replied in satisfaction as he drew Harry's wand from Draco's robes. "Let's get out of here."

Everyone nodded and followed Ron as he led the way towards the Forbidden Forest.

"If there are any lasting effects on Draco, Ginny-" Jade started in a threatening tone.

"There won't be, but you're welcome to hex Ron if you want," she replied, earning amused laughter from all but her brother.

They reached Harry and Hermione in due time, updating Jade meanwhile what she found herself mixed into. Apparently Harry had seen Sirius captured and tortured by Voldemort, and they needed to go to the Department of Mysteries all the way in London to save him. Jade frowned as she heard the involvement with the Dark Lord, but said nothing as they found the duo.

"… We were all in the DA together. It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it?" Neville said quietly. "And this is the first chance we've had to do something real- or was that all just a game or something?"

"No- of course it wasn't-"

"Then we should come too. We want to help," Neville said simply.

Jade cleared her throat, and the rest stared at her.

"I… Cannot openly oppose the Dark Lord- it would mean disastrous consequences for the Malfoys," she said, fingering the engagement ring. "I'm staying behind. I'll find Snape and tell him- or send Hedwig to Dumbledore…"

Harry nodded stiffly, a clear dismissal. But when Jade's light green and Harry's emerald eyes met, there was understanding in the latter.

* * *

The trees swishing of the trees was the only sound for a moment. Slowly, Jade raised her eyes to meet Ginny's.

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius?" she whispered. Ginny nodded tiredly. "Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius..." Jade repeated, shaking her head in astonishment. Draco's aunt killed her own cousin. Draco's aunt..

Jade didn't know how she could look in Harry's face ever again. The next time they met was after Harry walked away from Malfoy and the two Professors. She halted in her steps- then, taking Harry by surprise, bowed deeply. After she straightened, Harry was the first to break the silence.

"This is a parting of ways."

"It is," Jade replied. "But I hope in the end... we'll fight on the same side once more."

Harry's lips twitched and walked away without another word.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! In the next chapter we will move on to the couple's sixth year at Hogwarts. =) Open to criticism as usual! Oh and I have started writing a particular scene [that belongs to the ending of Half Blood Prince oops], so after the next chapter is painfully generated, it should flow smoothly! Please review! =)


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